Neurotensin-induced increase in intestinal blood flow in the anesthetized rat

Cardiac output (CO) and blood flow to major organs were investigated in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats using 85Sr and 141Ce labelled microspheres (MS) of 15 microns diameter injected into the left ventricle. Changes in organ blood flow and CO were measured after intraventricular dextran (3.4 mumol/kg/min) and intravenous neurotensin (NT) at two different rates, 2.5 nmol/kg/min and 0.125 nmol/kg/min. Dextran, known to give anaphylactoid response in rats, reduced the mean arterial pressure (MAP) from 118 +/- 17 to 55 +/- 8 mmHg (p less than 0.001) concomitant with a 56% decline in CO and significant decreases in blood flow to most organs. At 2.5 nmol/kg/min, NT caused a pattern of changes in MAP, CO and organ blood flow similar to that obtained with dextran, and thus consistent with an indirect response via mast cell stimulation. NT injected at 0.125 nmol/kg/min resulted in a significant increase (30%) in blood flow to the small intestine (p less than 0.01) without changes in MAP or CO. Vascular resistance decreased by 30% in the small intestine (p less than 0.01) and by 20% in the large intestine (p less than 0.05). The results show that circulating NT, at concentrations below those eliciting hypotension, enhances intestinal blood flow without significant changes in other organs.