Regulation of gastrin and somatostatin secretion by cholinergic and noncholinergic intramural neurons

The regulation of gastrin and somatostatin secretion by intramural neurons was examined in the isolated vascularly perfused rat stomach. The optimal modalities of transmural electrical stimulation of the antrum were established to be 40 V and 10 Hz. Stimulation at increasing cycle durations (0.1-4 ms) caused increasing gastrin secretion that was progressively more resistant to atropine. The maximal gastrin response to 4-ms cycles was equal to the maximal response to methacholine. However, the response to methacholine was inhibited 70-90% by atropine, whereas the response to 4-ms cycles was inhibited by 15% only. Stimulation at all cycle durations caused a decrease in somatostatin secretion. Atropine converted the decrease to an increase, from which it was concluded that before atropine somatostatin secretion was the net result of cholinergic inhibition and noncholinergic stimulation of somatostatin. The results indicate that cholinergic and noncholinergic intramural neurons are predominantly but not exclusively activated by 0.1- and 4-ms cycles, respectively. The existence of distinct neurons was supported by results of stimulation of preganglionic vagal fibers with 0.2- and 4-ms cycles. The findings are consistent with a model according to which gastrin secretion is regulated by two interdependent intramural neurons: a cholinergic neuron that stimulates gastrin secretion indirectly by inhibition of somatostatin secretion and a noncholinergic neuron that stimulates gastrin secretion directly by release of a peptide stimulant, probably bombesin.