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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
Surgical Models of Gastroesophageal Reflux with Mice
Published on: August 25, 2015
Attenuation of acid induced oesophagitis in VR-1 deficient mice
K Fujino1, S G de la Fuente, Y Takami
1Duke University Medical Center, Box 3117, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Background And Aims:
Activation of the vanilloid receptor subtype 1 (VR-1) results in release of proinflammatory peptides which initiate an inflammatory cascade known as neurogenic inflammation. We investigated its role in an acute model of surgically induced oesophagitis.
Methods:
Oesophagitis was induced by pyloric ligation in wild-type and VR-1 deficient mice. A subset of animals were administered the VR-1 antagonist capsazepine, famotidine, or omeprazole one hour before surgery. Five hours after surgery, myeloperoxidase activity (MPO), histological damage scores, intragastric pH, and immunocytochemical analysis of substance P (SP) receptor endocytosis were determined.
Results:
Oesophagitis induced knockout mice exhibited significantly lower levels of MPO activity, histological damage scores, and SP receptor endocytosis than wild-type mice. Inflammatory parameters were significantly reduced by acid inhibition and capsazepine in wild-type mice.
Conclusions:
We conclude that acute acid induced oesophagitis is reduced in animals lacking VR-1. This suggests that acid induced oesophagitis may act through VR-1 and that inhibition of the receptor may reduce inflammation.
