PRESENCE OF GONADOTROPIN-RELEASING-HORMONE (GNRH) RECEPTOR MESSENGER-RNA IN RAT MYENTERIC PLEXUS CELLS

Idiopathic neuromuscular disease of the gastrointestinal tract (functi onal bowel disease) is thought to result from the malfunction of neuro ns within the enteric nervous system. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone ( GnRH) analogs have recently been shown to organize the disordered moti lity patterns typical in these patients and to produce significant, lo ng-term symptomatic improvement. To determine whether GnRH analogs mig ht bind to an endogenous enteric nervous system GnRH receptor, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed using cultured neonatal rat enteric neuron RNA and rat GnRH receptor primers . A PCR product of the predicted size was cloned and nucleotide sequen ce analysis demonstrated that the myenteric plexus PCR product encoded a portion of the GnRH receptor sequence previously identified in rat pituitary. These results suggest that cells in the myenteric plexus ex press GnRH receptors that may bind exogenously administered GnRH analo gs. The expression of GnRH receptors in enteric neurons would provide an explanation for the effectiveness of GnRH analogs in treatment of i diopathic neuromuscular disease of the gastrointestinal tract.