Peripheral bombesin induces gastric vagal afferent activation in rats. Yoshida-Yoneda, Eriko, Tj O-Lee, Jen Yu Wei, Steven R. Vigna, and Yvette Tach[acute]e. CURE/Digestive Disease Research Center, West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, Dept of Medicine and Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90073 and Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
APStracts 3:0244R, 1996.
Bombesin influence on gastric vagal afferent discharge (GVAD) was studied in urethane-anesthetized rats. Vehicle and peptides were injected iv at 30 min intervals. CCK (300 pmol) and bombesin (300 pmol) increased on-going multi-unit GVAD by 153 +/- 59% and 162 +/- 37% respectively; similar increases were induced by a second injection of bombesin and CCK. The bombesin antagonist, ICI-216140 prevented bombesin-induced increase in GVAD while the CCK response was not influenced. The CCK-A receptor antagonist, devazepide, reduced the activation of GVAD induced by bombesin from 107 +/- 11% to 63 +/- 6%, while abolishing the CCK response. Devazepide given alone or in combination with ICI-216140 did not modify gastric distension (3-ml) induced increase in GVAD. Of 22 single-units that were activated by gastric load (4 ml), 17 and 20 units responded also to bombesin (620 pmol) and CCK (870 pmol) respectively. Of the 9 units which did not respond to gastric load, 8 had an increase in GVAD induced by both bombesin and CCK. There was no specific binding of 125I-[Tyr4]-bombesin on cervical vagus either intact or 24 h after ligation. These data suggest that iv bombesin-induced stimulation of GVAD is indirect and initially mediated through specific receptor activation influencing gastric smooth muscle and the release of CCK.

Received 21 December 1995; accepted in final form 14 June 1996.
APS Manuscript Number R807-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Regulatory Integrative
Comp. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 4 July 96