Abstract
The predominant opioid peptides of the gut, Met-enkephalin and Leu-enkephalin are confined to neurones of the myenteric plexus1–4. Axonal projections from these neurones innervate the circular muscle layer running parallel to the smooth muscle cells5. An opioid tridecapeptide (dynorphin), first isolated from the porcine pituitary6, is found in neurones of the submucosal plexus in the guinea pig; axonal projections from these neurones also innervate the circular muscle layer7,8. Dynorphin consists of an N-terminal Leu-enkephalin sequence coupled to a C-terminal octapeptide by an Arg–Arg sequence. Neural receptors for all three opioid peptides and for opiate narcotics have been identified in the myenteric plexus where they cause hyper-polarization of neurones9,10, inhibition of acetylcholine (ACh) release11 and blockade of muscle contraction induced by field stimulation12–16. Measurements of motor activity in circular muscle where enkephalinergic fibres are most abundant, suggest that opiates also have a direct contractile action17–20. We have tested this possibility hi isolated gastric smooth muscle cells devoid of neural elements21,22, and report here the presence of specific high-affinity opiate receptors on such cells of the guinea pig. The receptors mediate contraction as measured by image-splitting micrometry, and exhibit a rank order of potency and absolute values similar to those reported for neural receptors of the myenteric plexus. In view of the distribution of enkephalinergic fibres predominantly to gut smooth muscle, our results strongly support a direct neuro- transmitter role for enkephalins in this region.
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
Smith, T. W., Hughes, H., Kosterlitz, W. & Sosa, R. P. in Opiates and Endogenous Opioid Peptides, 57–62 (Elsevier/North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1976).
Furness, J. B., Costa, M., Franco, R. & Lewellyn-Smith, I. J. in Neural Peptides and Neuronal Communication (eds Costa E., & Trabucchi, M.) (Raven, New York, 1980).
Schultzberg, M. et al. Neuroscience 5, 689–744 (1980).
Jessen, K. R. et al. Neuroscience 5, 1717–1735 (1980).
Larsson, L. I., Childers, S. & Snyder, S. H. Nature 282, 407–410 (1979).
Goldstein, A. & Ghazarossian, V. E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 6207–6210 (1980).
Watson, S. J., Akil, H., Ghazarossian, V. E. & Goldstein, A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 1260–1263 (1981).
Goldstein, A., Tachibana, S., Lowney, L. I., Hunkapillar, M. & Hood, L. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76, 6666–6670 (1979).
Sakai, K. K., Hymson, D. L. & Shapiro, R. Neurosci. Lett. 10, 317–322 (1978).
North, R. A. & Tonini, M. Br. J. Pharmac. 61, 541–549 (1977).
Down, J. A. & Szerb, J. C. Br. J. Pharmac. 68, 47–55 (1980).
Kosterlitz, H. W. in Neural Peptides and Neuronal Communication (eds Costa, E. & Trabucchi, M.) 633–642 (Raven, New York, 1980).
Lord, J. A. H., Waterfield, A. A., Hughes, J. & Kosterlitz, H. W. Nature 267, 495–499 (1977).
Shaw, J. S. Br. J. Pharmac. 57, 428–429 (1979).
Oka, T. & Br. J. Pharmac. 68, 193–195 (1980).
Schulz, R., Wuster, M., Kerns, H. & Herz, A. Nature 285, 242–243 (1980).
Nijkamp, R. P. & Van Ree, J. M. Br. J. Pharmac. 68, 599–606 (1980).
Gillan, M. G. C. & Pollock, D. B. J. Pharmac. 68, 381–392 (1980).
Scheurer, U., Drack, E., Varga, L. & Halter, F. Regul. Peptides Suppl. 1, S100 (1980).
Burks, T. F. in Physiology of the Gastrointestinal Tract (ed. Johnson, L. R.) 495–516 (Raven, New York, 1981).
Bitar, K. N., Zfass, A. M. & Makhlouf, G. M. Am. J. Physiol. 237, E172–E176 (1979).
Bitar, K. N. & Makhlouf, G. M. Am. J. Physiol. 240 (in the press).
Pert, C. B. & Pert, A. Science 194, 330–332 (1976).
Peikin, S. R., Costenbader, C. L. & Gardner, J. D. J. biol. Chem. 254, 5321–5327 (1979).
Hutchinson, J. B. & Dockray, G. J. Regul. Peptides Suppl. 1, S53 (1980).
Chavkin, C. & Goldstein, A. Nature 291, 591–593 (1980).
Kilpatrick, D. L. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 3265–3268 (1981).
Wuster, M., Schulz, R. & Herz, A. Eur. J. Pharmac. 62, 235–236 (1980).
Glazer, E. & Basbaum, A. K. Science 208, 1479–1481 (1980).
Di Gulio, A. M., Yang, H. Y., Fratta, W. & Costa, E. Nature 278, 646–647 (1978).
Kromer, W., Pretzlaff, W. & Woinoff, R. Life Sci. 26, 1857–1865 (1980).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bitar, K., Makhlouf, G. Specific opiate receptors on isolated mammalian gastric smooth muscle cells. Nature 297, 72–74 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/297072a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/297072a0
This article is cited by
-
Influence of gastrointestinal neuropeptides on the anal canal
Diseases of the Colon & Rectum (1989)
-
Neuropeptides in the human appendix
Digestive Diseases and Sciences (1989)
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.