Effect of intracerebroventricular injection of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide on systemic blood pressure and pancreatic and gastric secretions in the rat.

In order to examine the role of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) in systemic blood pressure and pancreatic and gastric secretions in rats, the peptide was given to rats either intravenously (i.v.) through the femoral vein or intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) through the lateral ventricle. VIP, when given i.v., showed a systemic, hypotensive effect and a stimulatory effect on pancreatic secretion in urethane-anesthetized rats. When VIP was given i.c.v., there was no change in systemic blood pressure and pancreatic secretion in urethane-anesthetized rats, nor in gastric secretion both in urethane-anesthetized, stomach-perfused rats and in conscious, chronic gastric fistula rats. More research is needed to determine the central effect of VIP in digestive secretion.