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Tachykinins Influence Interdigestive Rhythm and Contractile Strength of Human Small Intestine

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Abstract

The effect of the putative entericneurotransmitters neurokinin A and substance P wereinvestigated on human small intestinal motility. Eitherneurokinin A, at doses of 6-25 pmol/kg/min, or substanceP at doses of 1- 6 pmol/kg/min were administeredintravenously to healthy volunteers over 4 hr.Neurokinin A dose-dependently increased the fraction ofphase II of the migrating motor complex, contraction frequency, motility index, and amplitude ofcontractions. At the highest dose, neurokinin A induceda phase II-like pattern, disrupting the migratingmyoelectric complex. Substance P dose-dependentlyincreased phase II of the migrating motor complex. Thecontraction frequency increased slightly at the highestdose, but neither motility index nor contractionamplitude changed. It is concluded that neurokinin A and substance P stimulate small intestinalmotility in man, and it can be speculated that they playa role in the control of human small intestinalmotility.

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Authors
  1. Mikael Lordal
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  2. Elvar Theodorsson
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  3. Per M. Hellstrom
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Lordal, M., Theodorsson, E. & Hellstrom, P.M. Tachykinins Influence Interdigestive Rhythm and Contractile Strength of Human Small Intestine. Dig Dis Sci 42, 1940–1949 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018875529739

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