Abstract
The effects of intracerebroventricular (icv) or subcutaneous (sc) hexarelin (Hexa) administration, against gastric ulcers induced by ethanol (50%, 1 ml/rat/os) or Indomethacin (20 mg/kg/os) were examined in conscious rats. Hexa at 1 nmol/rat, icv or 10 nmol/kg, sc reduced ethanol-induced ulcers by 47% and 32% respectively. Hexa, but not ghrelin significantly worsened (+40%) Indomethacin-induced ulcers when injected sc. Hexa-gastroprotection against ethanol-induced ulcers was removed by the GHS-R antagonist (D-Lys3)-GRPR-6 and by the inhibitor of NO-synthase (NOS) Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. Semiquantitative RT-PCR assay of gastric NOS mRNA isoforms revealed that the reduction in iNOS-derived NO and the increase of constitutive-derived NO are relevant for the gastroprotection of Hexa against ethanol-induced gastric damage.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Animals
-
Ethanol
-
Gastric Mucosa / enzymology
-
Ghrelin
-
Indomethacin
-
Injections, Intraventricular
-
Injections, Subcutaneous
-
Male
-
NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / pharmacology
-
Nerve Tissue Proteins / analysis
-
Nitric Oxide Synthase / analysis
-
Nitric Oxide Synthase / antagonists & inhibitors
-
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I
-
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
-
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III
-
Oligopeptides / administration & dosage
-
Oligopeptides / pharmacology*
-
Peptide Hormones
-
Rats
-
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
-
Stomach Ulcer / chemically induced*
-
Stomach Ulcer / drug therapy*
Substances
-
Ghrelin
-
Nerve Tissue Proteins
-
Oligopeptides
-
Peptide Hormones
-
hexarelin
-
Ethanol
-
Nitric Oxide Synthase
-
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I
-
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
-
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III
-
Nos1 protein, rat
-
Nos2 protein, rat
-
Nos3 protein, rat
-
NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester
-
Indomethacin