Immunohistochemical localization of gut peptides in the small intestine of snakes.

The small intestine of Vipera aspis, Natrix natrix and Natrix maura has been investigated for the presence of six gastrointestinal peptides reported to occur in Mammals. Gastrin/CCK and somatostatin were present in endocrine cells of the gut of all the species investigated. The neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal polypeptide was located within nerve terminals and in body cells only in the small intestine of Vipers and was absent in the Natricinae investigated. No immunoreactivity was found with the antisera to glucagon, secretin and motilin.