Neural discharge can be modulated by carotid arterial injection of gastrin-17 in rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus.

Neural discharge in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) was examined after gastrin-17 injection into the carotid artery in anesthetized rats. Neural discharge was increased by gastrin-17 injection into the carotid artery close to the cranium, and the response due to the gastrin was dose-dependent. No discharge response was seen when gastrin was injected into the jugular vein. These results suggest that gastrin circulating in the arterial blood can penetrate the blood brain barrier, and modulate neural PVN activity which is responsible for gastric acid secretion.