MEK inhibits secretin release and pancreatic secretion: roles of secretin-releasing peptide and somatostatin

We investigated the mechanism of action of methionine enkephalin (MEK) on HCl-stimulated secretin release and pancreatic exocrine secretion. Anesthetized rats with pancreatobiliary cannulas and isolated upper small intestinal loops were perfused intraduodenally with 0.01 N HCl while bile and pancreatic juice were diverted. The effect of intravenous MEK on acid-stimulated secretin release and pancreatic exocrine secretion was then studied with or without coinfusion of naloxone, an anti-somatostatin (SS) serum, or normal rabbit serum. Duodenal acid perfusate, which contains secretin-releasing peptide (SRP) activity, was collected from donor rats with or without pretreatment with MEK, MEK + naloxone, or MEK + anti-SS serum, concentrated by ultrafiltration, and neutralized. The concentrated acid perfusate (CAP), which contains SRP bioactivity, was infused intraduodenally into recipient rats. MEK increased plasma SS concentration and inhibited secretin release and pancreatic fluid and bicarbonate secretion dose-dependently. The inhibition was partially reversed by naloxone and anti-SS serum but not by normal rabbit serum. In recipient rats, CAP increased plasma secretin level and pancreatic secretion. CAP SRP bioactivity decreased when it was collected from MEK-treated donor rats; this was partially reversed by coinfusion with naloxone or anti-SS serum. These results suggest that in the rat, MEK inhibition of acid-stimulated pancreatic secretion and secretin release involves suppression of SRP activity release. Thus the MEK inhibitory effect appears to be mediated in part by endogenous SS.

Modulation of secretin release by neuropeptides in secretin-producing cells

Nerve fibers containing bombesin (BB)/gastrin-releasing polypeptide (GRP), pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), or galanin are known to innervate the mucosa of the upper small intestine. Both BB/GRP and PACAP have been shown to elicit secretin secretion in vivo. We studied whether the above-mentioned neuropeptides can act directly on secretin-producing cells, including the murine neuroendocrine cell line STC-1 and a secretin cell-enriched preparation isolated from rat upper small intestinal mucosa. Secretin release from both cell types was stimulated by various agents known to elicit secretin release and by the neuropeptides BB, GRP, and PACAP, suggesting a comparable response between the two cell preparations. The effects of neuropeptides were further studied in STC-1 cells. BB, GRP, and PACAP stimulated secretin release time and concentration dependently. VIP also stimulated secretin release concentration dependently. Stimulation by BB/GRP or PACAP was accompanied by elevation of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) or cAMP, respectively. The stimulatory effect of PACAP on secretin release was synergistically enhanced by BB without any synergistic increase in IP3 or cAMP production, suggesting cross talk between different signal transduction pathways downstream of the production of these two second messengers. The L-type Ca2+ channel blocker diltiazem (10 μM) and the Ca2+ chelator EGTA (1 mM) significantly inhibited BB-stimulated secretin release by 64% and 59%, respectively, and inhibited PACAP-stimulated release by 75% and 55%, respectively. The protein kinase A-specific inhibitor Rp-cAMPS (100 μM) also inhibited both BB- and PACAP-stimulated secretin release by 30% and 62%, respectively. Galanin inhibited BB- and PACAP-stimulated secretin release and production of second messengers in a concentration-dependent and pertussis toxin-sensitive manner. These results suggested that the neuropeptides BB/GRP, PACAP, VIP, and galanin can modulate secretin release in secretin-producing cells and that STC-1 cells can serve as a useful model for studying the cellular mechanism of secretin secretion elicited by luminal secretagogues and neuropeptides.

Neuronal regulation of the release and action of secretin-releasing peptide and secretin

The acid-stimulated release of secretin is mediated by a secretin-releasing peptide (SRP) in rats. In the present study we investigated to determine whether a neural mechanism(s) is involved in the regulation of release and action of SRP in anesthetized rats. A concentrated acid perfusate (CAP) containing SRP was obtained from donor rats. CAP administered to recipient rats significantly increased pancreatic flow volume (81.6 +/- 18.3%), bicarbonate output (188.7 +/- 15.6%), and plasma secretin level (from 0.9 +/- 0.2 to 4.4 +/- 0.5 pM). However, this effect was attenuated by CAP from donor rats pretreated with tetrodotoxin (TTX), propranolol, bilateral subdiaphragmatic vagotomy (BSV), or systemic and topical administration of capsaicin. In contrast, CAP from donor rats pretreated with phentolamine, atropine, or hexamethonium did not alter the increase in plasma secretin concentration and pancreatic secretion. Moreover, the action of CAP on secretin release was significantly inhibited in the recipient rats pretreated with TTX, BSV, and topical applications of capsaicin but was not suppressed in the recipient rats pretreated with atropine, hexamethonium, or propranolol. Furthermore, perivagal and duodenojejunal mucosal application of capsaicin abolished the pancreatic secretory response to secretin at 5 pmol.kg-1.h-1. In conclusion, the release and action of both SRP and secretin are mediated by a vagal afferent pathway. beta-Adrenergic receptors also play a significant role in the release of SRP.