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Abstract
This study was performed to determine whether the level of neurotensin in mesenteric venous blood after lipid perfusion is sufficient to establish neurotensin as a mediator of lipid-induced mesenteric vasodilatation. In anesthetized dogs, arterial flow to segments of the ileum was recorded, and blood was collected for measurement of neurotensin-like immunoreactivity, and neurotensin and metabolites. Perfusion of the lumen with micellar lipid resulted in an increase in blood blow from 37.7 ±4.1 to 44.5 ± 3.9 ml/min/100 g (p < 0.01; n = 8); flow to a control segment did not change. Venous plasma neurotensin-like immunoreactivity doubled, and neurotensin also increased (to 11.3 ± 3.9 fmol/ml; p < 0.05). Close intra-arterial infusion of neurotensin at 5pmol/min increased blood flow to 44.3 ± 3.4 ml/min/100 g (p < 0.025; n = 5); flow to a control segment did not change. Neurotensin-like immunoreactivity increased to the same extent as with lipid perfusion, and neurotensin increased to 28.6 ± 6.1 fmol/ml (p < 0.05). No accumulation of metabolites was detected in either experiment. Thus, infused neurotensin caused increased ileal blood flow at a level in venous plasma comparable to that present after lipid perfusion, suggesting that neurotensin may have a role in the local regulation of ileal blood flow.
