N-hexacosanol reverses diabetic induced muscarinic hypercontractility of ileum in the rat

Eur J Pharmacol. 2006 Sep 18;545(2-3):177-84. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2006.06.043. Epub 2006 Jun 27.

Abstract

Diabetic neuropathy, a major complication of diabetes mellitus, is associated with development of gastrointestinal motility dysfunction and autonomic neuropathy. N-hexacosanol has neurotrophic effects and exhibits a wide variety of biological actions. In this study, we investigated the effects of cyclohexenonic long-chain fatty alcohol (N-hexacosanol) on streptozotocin-diabetic hypercontractility in the rat ileum longitudinal muscles. Treatment with N-hexacosanol did not alter the diabetic status of the animals, i.e., body weight, serum glucose, and serum insulin levels, but significantly restored the thickness of intestine wall and ameliorated diabetes-induced hypercontractility of the rat ileum in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, N-hexacosanol reversed the diabetes-induced upregulation of intestinal muscarinic M(2) and M(3) receptors mRNAs in the streptozotocin-diabetic rats. These results indicate that N-hexacosanol has therapeutic effects on hypercontractility in the diabetic ileum by ameliorating overexpression of muscarinic M(2) and M(3) receptors mRNAs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / physiopathology*
  • Diabetic Neuropathies / drug therapy*
  • Fatty Alcohols / pharmacology*
  • Fatty Alcohols / therapeutic use
  • Ileum / drug effects*
  • Ileum / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Muscle Contraction / drug effects*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M2 / drug effects*
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M2 / genetics
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M3 / drug effects*
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M3 / genetics
  • Streptozocin

Substances

  • Fatty Alcohols
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M2
  • Receptor, Muscarinic M3
  • Streptozocin
  • 1-hexacosanol
  • Calcium