The Importance of the Enteric Nervous System for the Bile-Salt-Induced Secretion in the Small Intestine of the Rat

Abstract

We have investigated the possible involvement of the enteric nervous system in the intestinal secretion induced by sodium deoxycholate. Hexamethonium, lidocaine, and tetrodotoxin significantly inhibited the fluid secretion in extrinsically innervated and denervated rat jejunal segments. Atropine had no effect. We conclude that the sodium-deoxycholate-induced intestinal secretion is partly caused by the activation of local nervous reflexes.

Key-words:

• Atropine
• bile salts
• enteric nervous system
• hexamethonium
• intestinal secretion
• lidocaine
• tetrodotoxin