Abstract Background Glucagon‐like peptide‐2 ( GLP ‐2) is a pleiotropic hormone synthesized and secreted by the enteroendocrine ‘L’ cells able to exert intestine‐trophic anti‐inflammatory effects. The antineoplastic drug cisplatin causes gastrointestinal alterations with clinical symptoms (nausea vomiting) that greatly affect therapy compliance. Experimentally, it has been reported chronic treatment caused mucosal damage enteric neuropathy in rat colon. Methods We investigated, through...

Smoking is regarded as a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This study investigates whether serelaxin (RLX, recombinant human relaxin-2) endowed with promising therapeutic properties in CVD, can be credited protective effect against cigarette smoke (CS)-induced vascular damage and dysfunction. Guinea pigs exposed daily to CS 8 weeks were treated vehicle or RLX, delivered by osmotic pumps at doses 1 10 μg. Controls non-smoking animals. Other studies...

Abstract Cisplatin is an antimitotic drug able to cause acute and chronic gastrointestinal side effects. Acute effects are attributable mucositis while ones due neuropathy. has also antibiotic properties inducing dysbiosis which enhances the inflammatory response, worsening local damage. Thus, a treatment aimed at protecting microbiota could prevent or reduce toxicity of chemotherapy. Furthermore, since healthy some chemotherapeutic drugs, prebiotics improve this effectiveness. We...

The uterus is a site of nitric oxide (NO) production and expresses NO synthases (NOS), which are up-regulated during pregnancy. induces uterine quiescence, deemed necessary for the maintenance Relaxin known to promote quiescence. has also been shown stimulate in several targets. In this study we investigated effects relaxin on biosynthetic pathway mouse uterus. Estrogenized mice were treated with (2 microg) 18 h, horns used determination immunoreactive endothelial-type NOS inducible NOS....

Altered nitric oxide (NO) production/release is involved in gastrointestinal motor disorders occurring dystrophic (mdx) mice. Since the hormone relaxin (RLX) can upregulate NO biosynthesis, its effects on spontaneous motility and synthase (NOS) expression ileum of mice were investigated. Mechanical responses ileal preparations recorded vitro via force-displacement transducers. Evaluation NOS isoforms was performed by immunohistochemistry Western blot. Normal mdx distributed into three...

Glucagon-Like Peptide-2 (GLP-2) is a pleiotropic hormone that plays several roles in different organs and tissues, so being involved many physiological processes. Among these, it regulates gastrointestinal (GI) tract function binding to specific G-protein coupled receptor (GLP-2R). Of note, GLP-2R widely expressed cells of the GI tract, including excitatory inhibitory neurons enteric nervous system. In gut, GLP-2 has been reported play numerous actions, among which modulation motility....

Alopecia areata (AA) is a dermatosis involving the sudden occurrence of bald patches on scalp. Although aetiology unknown, experimental data indicate that cutaneous microcirculation plays an important role. The skin richly innervated by neuropeptidergic sensory nerves help regulate microvascular circulation. This study shows reduction levels substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) but not vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in scalp biopsies from patients with AA. Laser-Doppler...

Gastrointestinal motility is reduced and the incidence of functional gastrointestinal disorders increased in pregnancy, possibly due to hormonal influences. This study aims clarify whether hormone relaxin, which attains high circulating levels during pregnancy has a nitric oxide-mediated relaxant action on vascular uterine smooth muscle, also reduces bowel and, if it does, oxide involved. Female mice proestrous or estrous were treated for 18 h with relaxin (1 microg s.c.) vehicle (controls)....

Orexin A (OXA) has been reported to influence gastrointestinal motility, acting at both central and peripheral neural levels. The aim of the present study was evaluate whether OXA also exerts direct effects on duodenal smooth muscle. possible mechanism action involved investigated by employing a combined mechanical electrophysiological approach. Duodenal segments were mounted in organ baths for isometric recording activity. Ionic channel activity recorded current- voltage-clamp conditions...

Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) has been reported to influence gastrointestinal motor responses, exerting a modulatory role on enteric neurotransmission. To our knowledge, no data GLP-2 effects the motility of isolated ileum are available; therefore, we investigated whether affects contractile activity mouse ileal preparations and neurotransmitters engaged. Ileal showed tetrodotoxin (TTX)- atropine-insensitive spontaneous activity, which was unaffected by nitric oxide synthesis inhibitor,...

THE influence of the putative inhibitory neurotransmitters nitric oxide (NO), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) was examined on contractile responses elicited, either by electrical field stimulation (EFS) or exogenous acetylcholine (Ach), in strips circular muscle rabbit gastric corpus. Muscular contractions evoked Ach were not influenced NO-releasing compound sodium nitroprusside (SNP), but depressed VIP scarcely affected ATP. In contrast, all even...

Some adipokines known to regulate food intake at central level can also affect gastrointestinal motor responses. These are recognized be peripheral signals able influence feeding behaviour as well. In this view, it has been recently observed that adiponectin (ADPN), which seems have a role in sending satiety the nervous system level, actually affects mechanical responses gastric strips from mice. However, present, there no data literature about electrophysiological effects of ADPN on smooth...

Some adipokines, such as adiponectin (ADPN), other than being implicated in the central regulation of feeding behavior, may influence gastric motor responses, which are a source peripheral signals that also food intake. The present study aims to elucidate signaling pathways through ADPN exerts its actions mouse fundus. To this purpose, we used multidisciplinary approach. mechanical results showed caused decay strip basal tension, was abolished by nitric oxide (NO) synthesis inhibitor,...

The recent conceptualization of ghrelin as a stress hormone suggested that its chronic alterations may have role in maintaining overeating behaviors subjects with eating disorders (EDs) reporting childhood traumatic experiences. aim this study was to investigate the levels patients EDs, their associations early trauma, binge and emotional eating, possible moderation/mediation models.Sixty-four EDs 42 healthy controls (HCs) had plasma measured completed questionnaires evaluating general...

Irritable Bowel syndrome (IBS) is a highly widespread gastrointestinal disorder whose symptomatology mainly affect the large intestine. Among risk factors, psychosocial stress most acknowledged. The repeated water avoidance (rWAS) considered an animal model of that capable mimicking IBS. Otilonium bromide (OB), which orally administered, concentrates in bowel and controls IBS symptoms humans. Several reports have shown OB has multiple mechanisms action cellular targets. We investigated...

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the cytotoxic mechanisms responsible for acute renal allograft rejection, where macrophages produce high levels of inducible nitric synthase (iNOS). By contrast, both source and NO chronic nephropathy (CAN) are still unclear. In this study, expression iNOS mRNA protein was assessed kidneys patients with graft failure due to rejection. As controls, kidney specimens were obtained from undergoing nephrectomies primary tumours, suffering IgA or...

Impaired gastric motility ascribable to a defective nitric oxide (NO) production has been reported in dystrophic (mdx) mice. Since relaxin upregulates NO biosynthesis, its effects on the motor responses and synthase (NOS) expression fundus of mdx mice were investigated. Mechanical strips recorded via force displacement transducers. Evaluation three NOS isoforms was performed by immunohistochemistry Western blot. Wild-type (WT) distributed into groups: untreated, pretreated, vehicle...

To investigate whether the adipocytes derived hormone adiponectin (ADPN) affects mechanical responses in strips from mouse gastric fundus.For functional experiments, fundal region were cut direction of longitudinal muscle layer and placed organ baths containing Krebs-Henseleit solution. Mechanical recorded via force-displacement transducers, which coupled to a polygraph for continuous recording isometric tension. Electrical field stimulation (EFS) was applied two platinum wire rings through...