Cholecystokinin-8 activates myenteric neurons in 21- and 35-day old but not 4- and 14-day old rats.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) activates the myenteric neurons of adult rats. The goal of this work is to determine the ontogeny of this activation by CCK-8 in the myenteric plexus of the duodenum (2cm immediately following the pyloric sphincter aborally) and compare it with that of the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) - which occurs in 1-day old pups. Despite the existence of both of the CCK receptors, CCK(1) and CCK(2), in 4, 14, 21 and 35 day old rats, CCK-8 (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40μg/kg, i.p.) increased Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-LI, a marker for neuronal activation) in the myenteric neurons of 21- and 35-day old rats but in the DVC of all age groups. As such, this belated activation of myenteric neurons by CCK-8 compared to the DVC may reflect a delayed role for these neurons in CCK-related functions.