Dopamine in gastrointestinal disease.

Dopamine is an important enteric neuromodulator. Herein we review the data that support a role for dopaminergic involvement in experimental duodenal and gastric ulceration; gastric, pancreatic, and duodenal secretion; gastrointestinal motility; and gastric and intestinal submucosal blood flow regulation. There also is support for a role for dopamine and dopamimetic agents in the treatment of certain experimental gastrointestinal diseases because some highly selective dopamine agonists are gastroprotective when given either parenterally or centrally. Based upon these observations, we suggest that dopamine is a key element of the "brain-gut axis" and represents a potentially important target for pharmacotherapeutic exploitation.