Abstract
THE fundus of the guinea-pig stomach actively dilates in response to low increases in intragastric pressure1. This physiological response, now called adaptive relaxation2,3, accommodates the intake of liquid or food. It is independent of external innervation, resistant to ganglion blockade, but reflex in origin. The nerves involved are neither adrenergic nor cholinergic in nature. Non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) nerves have now been recognized in many parts of the gastrointestinal tract4 and have recently been linked with release of nitric oxide (NO) on electrical stimulation5â7. Here we show that adaptive relaxation in isolated stomach of the guinea pig is mediated by a NANC neurotransmitter substance indistinguishable from NO derived from L-arginine8. This is substantiated by inhibition of adaptive relaxation by NG-monomethyl-L-arginine or NĪ-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, both inhibitors of NO synthesis9,10, and by methylene blue, an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase11. There are two distinct neuronal pathways signalling NO-dependent adaptive relaxation, as evidenced by tetrodotoxin sensitivity. The first is a local reflex arc, the afferent fibres of which sense changes in intragastric pressure. The second is stimulated by an agonist for ganglionic nicotinic receptors. Thus, the functional significance of NO release from NANC nerves in the stomach is to bring about adaptive relaxation through a reflex response to increases in intragastric pressure.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Paton, W. D. M. & Vane, J. R. J. Physiol., Lond. 165, 10â46 (1963).
Abrahamsson, H. Acta physiol. scand. 390, 5â38 (1973).
Meyer, J. H. in Physiology of the Gastrointestinal Tract 2nd edn (ed. Johnson, L. R.) (Raven, NY, 1987).
Gillespie, J. S. in Motility of the Digestive Tract (ed. Wienbeck, M.) (Raven, NY, 1982).
Bult, H. et al. Nature 345, 346â347 (1990).
Gillespie, J. S., Liu, X. & Martin, W. Br. J. Pharmac. 98, 1080â1082 (1989).
Li, C. G. & Rand, M. J. Eur. J. Pharmac. 191, 303â309 (1990).
Palmer, R. M. J., Ferrige, A. G. & Moncada, S. Nature 327, 524â526 (1987).
Rees, D. D., Palmer, R. M. J., Hodson, H. F. & Moncada, S. Br. J. Pharmac. 96, 418â424 (1989).
Moore, P. K., al-Swayeh, O. A., Chong, N. S. W., Evans, R. & Gibson, A. Br. J. Pharmac. 99, 408â412 (1990).
Gruetter, C. A., Gruetter, D. Y., Lyon, J. E., Kadowitz, P. J. & Ignarro, L. J. J. Pharmac. exp. Ther. 219, 181â186 (1981).
Katsuki, S., Arnold, W., Mittal, C. & Murad, F. J. Cyclic Nucleotide Res. 3, 23â35 (1977).
Martin, W., Villani, G. M., Jothianandan, D. & Furchgott, R. F. J. Pharmac. exp. Ther. 232, 708â716 (1985).
Bredt, D. S. & Snyder, S. H. Proc natn. Acad Sci. U.S.A. 86, 9030â9033 (1989).
Knowles, R. G., Palacios, M., Palmer, R. M. J. & Moncada, S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 5159â5162 (1989).
Murphy, S., Minor, R. L. Wekl, G. & Harrison, D. G. J. Neurochem. 55, 349â351 (1990).
Bredt, D. S., Hwang, P. M. & Snyder, S. H. Nature 347, 768â770 (1990).
Boeckxstaens, G. E. et al. Br. J. Pharmac. 102, 434â438 (1991).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Desai, K., Sessa, W. & Vane, J. Involvement of nitric oxide in the reflex relaxation of the stomach to accommodate food or fluid. Nature 351, 477â479 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/351477a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/351477a0
This article is cited by
-
Neural signalling of gut mechanosensation in ingestive and digestive processes
Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2022)
-
Brainstem Neuronal Circuitries Controlling Gastric Tonic and Phasic Contractions: A Review
Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology (2022)
-
Morphologies, dimensions and targets of gastric nitric oxide synthase neurons
Cell and Tissue Research (2022)
-
Differential gastric emptiness according to preoperative stomach position in neurological impaired patients who underwent laparoscopic fundoplication and gastrostomy
Surgery Today (2021)
-
Impaired neural pathway in gastric muscles of patients with diabetes
Scientific Reports (2018)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.