Corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1-deficient mice do not develop postoperative gastric ileus

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling pathways play a key role in the stress response through the activation of CRF(1) and CRF(2) receptors. We investigated the CRF receptor subtypes involved in gastric postoperative ileus.

Adult male mice (C57BL/6, CRF(1)-deficient, and wild-type), fasted for 16-18 hours, were anesthetized for 10 minutes and had a midline celiotomy and cecal exteriorization and palpation for 30 or 60 seconds or no surgery (sham). Phenol red was given by gavage 100 minutes after anesthesia; 20 minutes later, gastric emptying and blood glucose level were measured.

In C57BL/6 mice, cecal palpation for 30 or 60 seconds significantly reduced gastric emptying to 30.3% +/- 1.4% and 5.8% +/- 3.4%, respectively, compared with 58.5% +/- 4.4% in sham. The CRF(1) antagonist CP-154,526 (20 mg/kg subcutaneously) completely prevented the 30-second cecal palpation-induced delayed gastric emptying (53.0% +/- 7.9% vs. 28.0% +/- 4.0% in vehicle + surgery), whereas the CRF(2) antagonist astressin(2)-B injected subcutaneously had no effect. In CRF(1)-deficient mice, cecal palpation for 30 seconds did not delay gastric emptying (80.3% +/- 4.5% compared with 84.7% +/- 6.3% in sham); in wild-type mice, gastric emptying was decreased to 17.8% +/- 16.1% (P < 0.05 vs. sham 72.0% +/- 12.4%). Surgery increased glucose levels by 46% compared with sham in wild-type mice, while glycemia was not altered in CRF(1)-deficient mice. Basal emptying was similar in wild-type and CRF(1)-deficient mice and not influenced by CRF antagonists in C57BL/6 mice.

These data show that CRF(1) activation plays an important role in mediating the early phase of gastric ileus.