Summary
Cut splanchnic nerves were stimulated electrically at the preganglionic level in efferent direction in anesthetized cats with the adrenals ligated bilaterally. A significant decrease of the intracellular serotonin (5-HT) levels in populations (n=20) of individual enterochromaffin cells (EC) in the mucosa from three different levels of the small intestine (distal duodenum, mid-jejunum and terminal ileum) was obtained. The intracellular 5-HT levels before and after stimulation were studied cytofluorimetrically in biopsies treated according to the Falck-Hillarp technique. One group of cats was pretreated with propranolol prior to stimulation. This prevented the decrease in fluorescence intensity effectively. Two other groups of cats were pretreated with phenoxybenzamine or phentolamine. These drugs also blocked the expected decrease in fluorescence intensity in 7 of 8 cats. In some biopsies there was an increased fluorescence intensity after nerve stimulation in cats given propranolol or phentolamine even though the drugs themselves had no intrinsic effects on the fluorescence intensity in control animals. It is concluded that efferent electrical stimulation of the splanchnic nerves can cause a release of 5-HT from gut EC by an adrenergic mechanism.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahlman, H., Danlström, A., Kewenter, J., Lundberg, J. M.: Vagal influence on serotonin concentration in enterochromaffin cells in the cat. Acta physiol. scand.97, 362–369 (1976 a).
Ahlman, H., Lundberg, J. M., Dahlström, A., Kewenter, J.: A possible vagal adrenergic release of serotonin from enterochromaffin cells in the cat. Acta physiol. scand.98, 366–375 (1976 b).
Ahlman, H., Bhargava, H. N., Donahue, P. E., Newson, B., DasGupta, T. K., Nyhus, L. M.: The vagal release of serotonin from enterochromaffin cells in the cat. Acta physiol. scand.104, 262–270 (1978).
Burks, T. F., Long, J. P.: Catecholamine induced release of 5-hydroxytryptamine from perfused vasculature of isolated dog intestine. J. Pharm. Sci.55, 1383–1386 (1966).
Celander, O.: The range of control exercised by the sympathicoadrenal system. Acta physiol. scand.32, Suppl. 116, 1–132 (1954).
Corrodi, H., Jonsson, G.: The formaldehyde fluorescence method for the histochemical demonstration of biogenic monoamines. J. Histochem. Cytochem.15, 65–78 (1967).
Kock, N. G.: An experimental analysis of mechanisms engaged in reflex inhibition of intestinal motility. Acta physiol. scand.47, Suppl. 164, (1959).
Lundberg, J. M., Ahlman, H., Dahlström, A., Kewenter, J.: Catecholamine containing nerve fibres in the human abdominal vagus. Gastroenterology70, 516–522 (1976).
Lundberg, J. M., Hökfelt, T., Nilsson, G., Terenius, L., Rehfeld, J., Elde, R., Said, S.: Peptide neurons in the vagus, splanchnic and sciatic nerves. Acta physiol. scand.104, 499–501 (1978 a).
Lundberg, J. M., Dahlström, A., Bylock, A., Ahlman, H., Pettersson, G., Larsson, I., Hansson, H.-A., Kewenter, J.: Ultrastructural evidence for an innervation of epithelial enterochromaffin cells in the guinea-pig duo-denum. Acta physiol. scand.104, 3–12 (1978 b).
Lundberg, J. M., Hökfelt, T., Kewenter, J., Pettersson, G., Ahlman, H., Edin, R., Dahlström, A., Nilsson, G., Terenius, L., Uvnäs-Wallensten, K., Said, S.: Substance P, VIP and Enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in the human vagus nerve. Gastroenterology77, 468–471 (1979).
Newson, B., Ahlman, H., Dahlström, A., DasGupta, T. K., Nyhus, L. M.: On the innervation of the ileal mucosa in the rat-a synapse. Acta physiol. scand.105, 387–389 (1979).
Pettersson, G., Dahlström, A., Larsson, I., Lundberg, J. M., Ahlman, H., Kewenter, J.: The release of serotonin from rat duodenal enterochromaffin cells by adrenoceptor agonists studied in vitro. Acta physiol. scand.103, 219–224 (1978).
Pettersson, G., Ahlman, H., Dahlström, A., Kewenter, J., Larsson, I., Larsson, P. A.: The effect of transmural field stimulation on the serotonin content in rat duodenal enterochromaffin cells in vitro. Acta physiol. scand. (in press, 1979).
Schaffalitsky de Muckadell, O. B., Fahrenkrug, J., Holst, J. J.: Release of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) by electrical stimulation of the vagal nerves. Gastroenterology77, 373–375 (1977).
Tansy, M. F., Rothman, G., Bartlett, Farber, P., Hohenleitner, F. S.: Vagal adrenergic degranulation of enterochromaffin cell system in guinea-pig duodenum. J. Pharm. Sci.60, 81–84 (1971).
Tobe, T., Izumikawa, F., Sano, M., Tanaka, C.: Release mechanisms of 5-HT in mammalian gastrointestinal tract-especially vagal release of 5-HT. In: Endocrine gut and pancreas (Fujita, T., ed.), pp. 371–380. Amsterdam: Elsevier. 1976.
Uvnäs-Wallensten, K., Efendic, S., Luft, R.: Vagal release of somatostatin into the antral lumen of cats. Acta physiol. scand.99, 126–128 (1977).
Uvnäs-Wallensten, K.: Release of substance P-like immunoreactivity into the antral lumen of cats. Acta physiol. scand.104, 464–468 (1978).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Larsson, I., Dahlström, A., Pettersson, G. et al. The effects of adrenergic antagonists on the serotonin levels of feline enterochromaffin cells after splanchnic nerve stimulation. J. Neural Transmission 47, 89–98 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01670160
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01670160