Inhibition of gastric and intestinal motor activity in dogs by (Gln4) neurotensin.

The action of (Gln4)-neurotensin was studied on the spontaneous motor activity in isolated canine fundic, antral and intestinal pouches. All pouches had been prepared more than 6 months prior to the experiments. Spontaneous motor activity was recorded for at least 1 h before the Gln4)-neurotensin was infused i.v. for 30 min in doses ranging between 6.3 and 100 ng X kg-1 X min-1. In the vagally denervated fundic pouches (Gln4)-neurotensin inhibted motor activity in doses above 25 ng X kg-1 X min-1. The vagally innervated antral pouches were more sentitive than the vagally denervated fundic pouches to the action of (Gln4)-neurotensin. Thus motor inhibition was induced by doses as low as 6.3 ng X kg-1 X min-1. The effect of (Gln4)-neurotensin on motor activity in intestinal pouches was inconsistent. Inhibition was seen in 1 out of 7 expts. The present results show that the gastric motor activity is the most sensitive function to (Gln4)-neurotensin so far studied.