Enhanced intestinal motor response to cholecystokinin in post-Nippostrongylus brasiliensis-infected rats: modulation by CCK receptors and the vagus nerve.

Abstract

The jejunal inflammation induced in rats by the nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis is followed by intestinal neuroimmune alterations including mast cell hyperplasia and nerve remodelling. On the other hand, cholecystokinin (CCK) plays a pivotal role in the regulation of intestinal motility. The aim of this study was to determine whether the intestinal motor response to CCK is altered 30 days after infection by N. brasiliensis. Thus, CCK-8 (50 microg kg(-1) intraperitoneally) disrupted the pattern of jejunal migrating myoelectric complexes for a longer time in postinfected rats (95.5 +/- 3.5 min) than in controls (48.1 +/- 5.1 min). This enhanced jejunal response was also found after oral administration of the potent releaser of endogenous CCK, soybean trypsin inhibitor. In contrast, no alteration of the inhibition of colonic motility by CCK administration was observed. The increased responsiveness of jejunal motility to CCK persisted after mast cell stabilisation or depletion but was prevented by atropine, devazepide and L-365260 (CCK-A and CCK-B receptor antagonists, respectively) and vagotomy. These results indicate that neuroimmune alterations after N. brasiliensis infection lead to an increased intestinal motility response to CCK that involves a cholinergic mediation, a vagal pathway and alterations in intestinal CCK-A and CCK-B receptors.