The effect of enterostatin on pig duodenal, jejunal and ileal motility in vitro

The action of enterostatin as a potential relaxing factor for intestinal smooth muscles has been investigated. Motor responses of muscle strips obtained from the duodenum, Jejunum and ileum of the pig were followed in isometric conditions. Enterostatin in concentrations of 0.05, 0.5, 5.0 and 50 μg/ml did not influence either the muscle tension or the motility index of duodenal and ileal sections. The jejunal sections responded in a significant manner only to the highest dose (50 μg/ml) of the pentapeptide with relaxation to about 65% of the mean basal tension, while its motility index remained unchanged. Those findings indicate that enterostatin does nos not act directly on intestinal muscle contractile activity in vitro. The effect of the dose of 50 μg/ml of enterostatin on jejunal motility is rather of pharmacological relevance and thus should not be considered physiologically important.