Relaxant effect of capsaicin in the rat gastric fundus

The effect of capsaicin was studied in precontracted longitudinal muscle strips of the rat gastric fundus. Capsaicin induced a relaxation in the concentration range 10(-7)-10(-6) M. The relaxation induced by 10(-6) M capsaicin was completely prevented by extrinsic denervation of the stomach. The adrenoceptor antagonists phentolamine and propranolol did not influence the effect of capsaicin while hexamethonium potentiated it; this potentiation was not observed with another nicotinic receptor antagonist trimethaphan. Tetrodotoxin did not have a consistent effect as it reduced the capsaicin-induced relaxation in some but not all tissues. The peptidase trypsin consistently reduced the action of capsaicin but vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) antiserum, desensitization to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and CGRP antiserum had no influence. The neuropeptide involved in the relaxant effect of capsaicin in the rat gastric fundus has thus still to be determined.