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Atropine methyl nitrate increases myenteric but not dorsal vagal complex Fos-like immunoreactivity in the rat

Shannon J Raboin1, Stephen Gulley, Sheryce C Henley

  • 1Gastroenterology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 36088, USA.

Physiology & Behavior
|June 27, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Atropine methyl nitrate increased Fos-like immunoreactivity in the rat myenteric plexus but not the dorsal vagal complex. This suggests the myenteric plexus locally mediates behavioral responses to atropine methyl nitrate.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Atropine methyl nitrate (AMN) is a drug with known effects on the gastrointestinal system.
  • Understanding the neural pathways involved in AMN's action is crucial for its therapeutic application.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of AMN on neural activation, specifically Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-LI), in the rat enteric and central nervous systems.
  • To explore the potential role of the myenteric plexus versus the dorsal vagal complex in mediating AMN's behavioral effects.

Main Methods:

  • Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered varying doses of AMN intraperitoneally.
  • Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-LI) was assessed in the myenteric plexus and the dorsal vagal complex (DVC), including the area postrema (AP), nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV).
  • Sucrose intake was measured following AMN administration.

Main Results:

  • AMN administration (0.05, 0.5, and 25 mg/kg) significantly increased Fos-LI in the myenteric plexus.
  • No significant increase in Fos-LI was observed in the DVC (AP, NTS, DMV) across the tested AMN doses.
  • A 3 mg/kg dose of AMN reduced sucrose intake but did not alter Fos-LI in either the myenteric plexus or DVC.

Conclusions:

  • The myenteric plexus shows increased neural activation in response to AMN.
  • The dorsal vagal complex does not appear to be a primary site for AMN-induced neural signaling at the tested doses.
  • The myenteric plexus may play a localized role in mediating the behavioral effects of atropine methyl nitrate.

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