Substance P induces gastric mucosal protection at supraspinal level via increasing the level of endomorphin-2 in rats.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the potential role of substance P (SP) in gastric mucosal defense and to clarify the receptors and mechanisms that may be involved in it. Gastric ulceration was induced by oral administration of acidified ethanol in male Wistar rats. Mucosal levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and somatostatin were determined by radioimmunoassay. For analysis of gastric motor activity the rubber balloon method was used. We found that central (intracerebroventricular) injection of SP (9.3-74pmol) dose-dependently inhibited the formation of ethanol-induced ulcers, while intravenously injected SP (0.37-7.4nmol/kg) had no effect. The mucosal protective effect of SP was inhibited by pretreatment with neurokinin 1-, neurokinin 2-, neurokinin 3- and mu-opioid receptor antagonists, while delta- and kappa-opioid receptor antagonists had no effect. Endomorphin-2 antiserum also antagonized the SP-induced mucosal protection. In the gastroprotective dose range SP failed to influence the gastric motor activity. Inhibition of muscarinic cholinergic receptors, or the synthesis of nitric oxide or prostaglandins significantly reduced the effect of SP. In addition, centrally injected SP reversed the ethanol-induced reduction of gastric mucosal CGRP content. It can be concluded, that SP may induce gastric mucosal protection initiated centrally. Its protective effect is likely to be mediated by endomorphin-2, and vagal nerve may convey the centrally initiated protection to the periphery, where both prostaglandins, nitric oxide and CGRP are involved in mediating this effect

Imidazoline versus alpha₂-adrenoceptors in the control of gastric motility in mice.

Several lines of evidence suggest that imidazoline receptors mediate various physiological processes. It is rather difficult, however, to distinguish the imidazoline receptor-mediated effects from the alpha₂-adrenoceptor-mediated ones due to the reasonable affinity of most imidazoline ligands for the alpha₂-adrenoceptors. In the present study the effects of different imidazoline ligands were tested on the electrical field stimulation (EFS)-induced gastric contractions in wild-type (WT), alpha₂A-, alpha₂B- and alpha₂C-adrenoceptor knockout (KO) mice in order to analyze, whether imidazoline I₁ and I₂ receptors take part in the regulation of gastric motor activity. Clonidine, moxonidine and rilmenidine inhibited the EFS-induced gastric contractions in a concentration dependent manner in WT, alpha₂B- and alpha₂C-adrenoceptor KO mice, whereas they had no or only weak effect in alpha₂A-adrenoceptor KO mice. Their effects in WT mice were inhibited by idazoxan and BRL 44408, but not by ARC 239, AGN 192403 and BU 224. The endogenous imidazoline receptor ligand agmatine failed to affect the EFS-induced contractions, while harmane (an other endogenous imidazoline receptor ligand) and 2-BFI (a selective imidazoline I2 receptor agonist) exerted a slight effect in both WT and alpha2A-adrenoceptor KO mice, but this was not reversible by idazoxan, AGN 192403 and BU 224. It can be concluded, that the inhibitory effect of the tested imidazoline compounds on cholinergic gastric contractions is mediated mainly by alpha₂A-adrenoceptors. Although at higher concentrations other receptors may also contribute to their effects, the lack of inhibition by AGN 192403 and BU 224 suggests that these are not imidazoline I₁ and I₂ receptors

Common cardiovascular risk factors and in-hospital mortality in 3,894 patients with COVID-19: survival analysis and machine learning-based findings from the multicentre Italian CORIST Study

There is poor knowledge on characteristics, comorbidities and laboratory measures associated with risk for adverse outcomes and in-hospital mortality in European Countries. We aimed at identifying baseline characteristics predisposing COVID-19 patients to in-hospital death