Local effect of neurotensin on canine ileal blood flow, and its release by luminal lipid

This study was performed to determine whether the level of neurotensin in mesenteric venous blood after lipid perfusion is sufficient to establish neurotensin as a mediator of lipid-induced mesenteric vasodilation. In anesthetized dogs, arterial flow to segments of the ileum was recorded, and blood was collected for measurement of neurotensin-like immunoreactivity, and neurotensin and metabolites. Perfusion of the lumen with micellar lipid resulted in an increase in blood blow from 37.7 +/- 4.1 to 44.5 +/- 3.9 ml/min/100 g (p less than 0.01; n = 8); flow to a control segment did not change. Venous plasma neurotensin-like immunoreactivity doubled, and neurotensin also increased (to 11.3 +/- 3.9 fmol/ml; p less than 0.05). Close intra-arterial infusion of neurotensin at 5 pmol/min increased blood flow to 44.3 +/- 3.4 ml/min/100 g (p less than 0.025; n = 5); flow to a control segment did not change. Neurotensin-like immunoreactivity increased to the same extent as with lipid perfusion, and neurotensin increased to 28.6 +/- 6.1 fmol/ml (p less than 0.05). No accumulation of metabolites was detected in either experiment. Thus, infused neurotensin caused increased ileal blood flow at a level in venous plasma comparable to that present after lipid perfusion, suggesting that neurotensin may have a role in the local regulation of ileal blood flow.