NEUROPEPTIDE CONTENTS IN THE DUODENUM OF NONOBESE DIABETIC MICE

Twelve pre-diabetic and 12 diabetic female NOD mice aged 22-24 weeks w ere studied. As controls, 12 female BALB/cJ of the same ape and sex we re used. The duodenal content of several neuropeptides, namely vasoact ive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), neurotensin, neuropeptide Y (NPY), g alanin, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and enkephalin was determined by radioimmunoassay of tissue extracts. The VIP content in duodenal ex tracts from both pre-diabetic and diabetic NOD mice was significantly higher than that of the controls. The enkephalin content of the duoden um of diabetic mice was significantly higher than that of the controls , while no significant difference was found between the controls and p re-diabetic mice. There was no statistically significant difference be tween controls and NOD mice regarding the duodenal content of neuroten sin, NPY, galanin or GRP. It has been suggested that the high duodenal content of VIP appears to be primary to the onset of diabetes and tha t the high enkephalin content may be attributable to the diabetic stat e. The changes in the duodenal content of VIP and enkephalin reported here in an animal model for diabetes type I might be of relevance for the gastrointestinal complications occurring in human diabetes.