Neuronal pathways involved in abdominal surgery-induced gastric
ileus in rats.
Barquist, E., B. Bonaz, V. Martinez, J. Rivier, M. J. Zinner, and Y.
Tache.
CURE/Gastroenteric Biology, West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs
Medical Center, Departments of Medicine and Surgery and Brain
Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90073; Clayton
Foundation Laboratories, Salk Institute, La Jolla, California
92038
APStracts 2:0325R, 1995.
The 20 min rate of gastric emptying of a non-caloric solution and c
-fos expression detected by immunohistochemistry in the brain were
monitored 3 h after abdominal surgery performed under 10 min
enflurane anesthesia in rats. Abdominal surgery (laparotomy and 1 min
manipulation of the cecum) decreased gastric emptying from 60.8 +/-
3.4% to 25.9 +/- 3.4%. Capsaicin applied to the celiac/superior
mesenteric ganglia 2 weeks before the experiment reduced the delay in
gastric emptying induced by abdominal surgery (46.3 +/- 3.4%) whereas
perivagal capsaicin application had no effect (23.6 +/- 7.9%). The
CRF antagonist, [D-Phe12, NLe21,38, CaMeLeu37] CRF12-41 injected
intracisternally (10-20 [mu]g) prevented postoperative gastroparesis
induced by surgery while having no effect on basal gastric emptying.
Abdominal surgery increased the number of Fos positive cells in brain
nuclei regulating autonomic outflow: the nucleus tractus solitari,
locus coeruleus, paraventricular nucleus and supraoptic nucleus of
the hypothalamus. These data indicate that capsaicin-sensitive
splanchnic afferent fibers and activation of CRF receptors in the
brain are part of the neuronal circuitry mediating gastric stasis 3 h
after abdominal surgery.
Received 20 January 1995; accepted in final form 18 October 1995.
APS Manuscript Number R47-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Regulatory Integrative
Comp. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 8 December 95