Gastric motor effects of ghrelin and growth hormone releasing peptide 6 in diabetic mice with gastroparesis

AIM:To investigate the potential therapeutic significance of ghrelin and growth hormone releasing peptide 6 (GHRP-6) in diabetic mice with gastric motility disorders. METHODS: A diabetic mouse model was established by intraperitoneal (ip) injection of alloxan. Diabetic mice were injected ip with ghrelin or GHRP-6 (20-200 μg/kg), and the effects on gastric emptying were measured after intragastric application of phenol red. The effect of atropine, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) or D-Lys3-GHRP-6 (a growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) antagonist) on the gastroprokinetic effect of ghrelin or GHRP-6 (100 μg/kg) was also investigated. The effects of ghrelin or GHRP-6 (0.01-10 μmol/L) on spontaneous or carbachol-induced contractile amplitude were also investigated in vitro, in gastric fundic circular strips taken from diabetic mice. The presence of growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a transcripts in the fundic strips of diabetic mice was detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: We established a diabetic mouse model with delayed gastric emptying. Ghrelin and GHRP-6 accelerated gastric emptying in diabetic mice with gastroparesis. In the presence of atropine or L-NAME, which delayed gastric emptying, ghrelin and GHRP-6 (100 μg/kg) failed to accelerate gastric emptying. D-Lys3-GHRP-6 also delayed gastric emptying induced by the GHS-R agonist. Ghrelin and GHRP-6 increased the carbachol-induced contractile amplitude in gastric fundicstrips taken from diabetic mice. RT-PCR confirmed the presence of GHS-R mRNA in the strip preparations. CONCLUSION: Ghrelin and GHRP-6 increase gastric emptying in diabetic mice with gastroparesis, perhaps by activating peripheral cholinergic pathways in the enteric nervous system.

拟南芥Peptide5和Peptide6的表达谱分析

通过对5个拟南芥(Arabidopsis thalianaL.)预测性多肽进行RT-PCR分析,在mRNA水平证实了Peptide5和Peptide6预测性多肽的真实性。表达谱分析表明:两基因在不同的发育期和不同的组织普遍表达,为组成型基因;对NaCl、聚乙二醇4000(PEG4000)、茉莉酸甲酯(MeJA)、水杨酸(SA)、机械损伤和冷害做出基因转录水平的响应。启动子顺式作用元件分析提示,拟南芥Peptide5基因可能参与了次生木质部的形成。

Role of vasoactive intestinal peptide in Aspergillus fumigatus-infected cornea

AIM： To investigate the anti-inflammatory role of vasoactive intestinal peptide（VIP） in Aspergillus fumigatus（A. fumigatus） ketatitis.METHODS： Expression of VIP was tested by polymerase chain reaction（PCR） in C57BL/6 and BALB/c normal and A. fumigatus infected corneas. C57BL/6 mice were pretreated with recombinant（r） VIP, while BALB/c mice were pretreated with VIP antagonist, and then infected with A. fumigatus. Clinical score was recorded. Expression of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines, toll-like receptor 4（TLR4）, lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1（LOX-1）, and neutrophil infiltration were tested by PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）, and myeloperoxidase（MPO） assay.RESULTS： VIP mR NA expression in BALB/c cornea was higher than C57BL/6 cornea at 1 and 3 d post infection（p.i.）. rV IP treatment of C57BL/6 mice showed alleviated disease and down-regulated expression of interleukin-1β（IL-1β） and tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）, while IL-10 expression was up-regulated. Neutrophil infiltration and TLR4, IL-17 expression were decreased after rVIP treatment, while LOX-1 expression was up-regulated in C57BL/6. VIP antagonist pretreatment showed increased disease and higher IL-1β, TNF-α, TLR4, IL-17 and MPO levels, while IL-10 and LOX-1 levels were down-regulated in BALB/c mice.CONCLUSION： rVIP alleviate disease response of C57BL/6 mice. VIP antagonist resulted in worsened disease of BALB/c mice. VIP proposed anti-inflammatory role in A. fumigatus keratitis.

Therapeutic effects of ghrelin and growth hormone releasing peptide 6 on gastroparesis in streptozotocin-induced diabetic guinea pigs in vivo and in vitro

Background Diabetic gastroparesis is a disabling condition with no consistently effective treatment. In normal animals, both ghrelin and its synthetic peptide, growth hormone releasing peptide 6 （GHRP-6）, increase gastric emptying. Thus, we investigated the potential therapeutic significance of ghrelin and GHRP-6 in diabetic guinea pigs with gastric motility disorders. Methods A diabetic guinea pig model was produced by intraperitoneal （i.p.） injection of streptozotocin （STZ, 280 mg/kg）. Diabetic guinea pigs were injected i.p. with ghrelin or GHRP-6 （10-100 μg/kg）, and the effects on gastric emptying were measured after intragastric application of phenol red. The effect of atropine or a growth hormone secretagogue receptor （GHS-R） antagonist, D-Lys^3-GHRP-6, on the gastroprokinetic effects of ghrelin or GHRP-6 （100 μg/kg） was also investigated. Further, the in vitro effects of ghrelin or GHRP-6 （0.01-10 μmol/L） on spontaneous or carbachol-induced contractile amplitude in gastric fundic circular strips taken from diabetic guinea pigs were examined. Growth hormone secretagogue receptor transcripts in the fundic strips of diabetic guinea pigs were detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR）. Results We established a guinea pig model of delayed gastric emptying. Ghrelin （20, 50, or 100 μg/kg） and GHRP-6 （20, 50, or 100 μg/kg） accelerated gastric emptying in diabetic guinea pigs with gastroparesis （n=6, P 〈0.05）. In the presence of atropine, which delayed gastric emptying, ghrelin and GHRP-6 （100 μg/kg） failed to accelerate gastric emptying （n=6, P 〈0.05）. D-Lys^3-GHRP-6 also delayed gastric emptying induced by the GHS-R agonist （n=6, P 〈0.05）. Ghrelin and GHRP-6 increased the carbachol-induced contractile amplitude in gastric fundic strips taken from diabetic guinea pigs （n=6, P〈0.05）. RT-PCR confirmed the presence of GHS-R mRNA in the strip preparations. Conclusions Ghrelin and GHRP-6 increased gastric emptying in diabetic guinea pigs with gastroparesis, potentially, by activating the peripheral cholinergic pathways in the enteric nervous system.