Role of thyrotrophin releasing hormone and corticotrophin releasing factor in stress related alterations of gastrointestinal motor function

Abstract

There is a growing body of experimental and clinical evidence to indicate that stress influences gastrointestinal motility. The most common pattern of gastrointestinal motor alterations induced by a variety of different stress factors is that of delayed gastric emptying and accelerated colonic transit. Central administration of corticotrophin releasing factor mimics both of these effects. This review focuses on the effects of two centrally acting peptides known to influence gastrointestinal motility and transit in experimental animals: thyrotrophin releasing hormone and corticotrophin releasing factor. The biological actions of these peptides are discussed in relation to the motility changes and pathways involved in their actions.

Figure 1

Bilateral microinfusion of intracerebroventricular (icv) or intravenous (iv) injection of corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) into the paraventricular nucleus or central amygdala on colonic transit time (A) and faecal pellet output (B) in rats. ***p<0.001 versus vehicle. Reproduced with permission from the American Gastroenterological Association.⁴²

Figure 2

Leucocyte rolling, adhesion, and emigration in control rats (A) and effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), and intracisternal (ic) injection of corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) (B). (A) *p<0.05 versus control, ic CRF+LPS and 1A29+LPS. (B) *p<0.05 versus LPS. Reproduced with permission from Casadevall and colleagues.⁵¹