Selective ablation of spinal afferent neurons containing CGRP attenuates gastric hyperemic response to acid

The gastric mucosa, in particular submucosal blood vessels, are innervated by afferent neurons containing neuropeptides such as calcitonin gene-related peptide. Stimulation of sensory neurons innervating the gastric mucosa increases submucosal blood flow. Since sensory neurons supplying the stomach are of dual origin from nodose and dorsal root ganglia, we examined the effect of selective ablation of either the vagal or spinal sensory innervation to the upper gastrointestinal tract on the increase in gastric mucosal blood flow in response to acid back diffusion into the gastric mucosa. Perineural application of capsaicin to the celiac/superior mesenteric ganglia, but not to the vagus nerves, significantly inhibited by 53% the hyperemic response to acid back diffusion. Tissue levels of immunoreactive calcitonin gene-related peptide in the gastric corpus were significantly reduced (by 73%) by periceliac capsaicin treatment, but unaffected by perivagal capsaicin treatment. These data suggest that spinal capsaicin-sensitive afferents containing calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity are involved in mediating increases in gastric mucosal blood flow. This increase in gastric mucosal blood flow mediated by sensory neurons may act as a protective mechanism against mucosal injury, similar to responses seen in other tissues such as skin.