Abstract

The possible involvement of nitric oxide in the regulation of intestinal ion transport induced by neuropeptide Y (NPY) was investigated by evaluating the effects of NG-methyl-L-arginine (L-NMA), L-arginine and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) on NPY activity in mouse ileum mounted in Ussing chambers in vitro. Serosal NPY (10 nM) produced a sustained decrease in basal transmural short circuit current (Isc) and potential difference without altering the tissue conductance. Pretreatment of tissues with L-arginine (3 mM), but not D-arginine (10 mM), blocked the NPY-mediated changes in Isc. This L-arginine effect on NPY activity was reversed by L-NMA (3 mM), and not by NG-methyl-D-arginine (10 mM). The L-arginine effect on NPY activity was concentration-related with an A50 (95% CL) value of 1.6 (0.9-2.3) mM. In contrast to L-arginine, L-NMA (1 mM) pretreatment of tissues produced an enhancement of NPY activity, resulting in a 3.8-fold leftward displacement of the NPY concentration-response curve; NG-methyl-D-arginine was without effect. The effect of L-NMA on NPY activity was concentration-related with an A50 (95% CL) value of 45.3 (23.2-68.8) microM. Serosal application of SNAP, a nitric oxide donor, produced a concentration-related decrease in basal Isc and potential difference without altering tissue conductance with an A50 (95% CL) value of 22.5 (11.1-40.5) microM. Pretreatment of tissue with SNAP (100 microM) reduced the NPY activity with rightward displacement of NPY concentration-response curve. Pretreatment of tissues with L-arginine also blocked the reduction of Isc by [D-Pen2, D-Pen5]enkephalin (10-30 nM), H2N-Tyr-D-Ala-Phe-Glu-Val-Val-Gly-NH2 (10-30 nM) and somatostatin (0.3-1.0 microM), but had no effect on norepinephrine (0.1-0.3 microM)-induced decrease in mouse ileal Isc. These results show that [fgc]l-arginine and SNAP block NPY-mediated changes in ion transport, suggesting that nitric oxide may play a role in the regulation of NPY-mediated ion transport in the mouse ileum.