The contractile effect of bombesin, gastrin releasing peptide and various fragments in the rat stomach strip.

The contractile activity of bombesin (BB) and related peptides including the gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) was evaluated in the rat stomach strip. BB and GRP were found to elicit concentration-dependent contractile effects in concentrations varying between 5.0 X 10(-10) and 5.0 X 10(-7) M. EC50 values of BB and GRP were 6.5 X 10(-9) and 10(-8) M, respectively. The contractile effect of BB (1.5 X 10(-8) M) was not modified by a mixture of antagonists containing atropine (1.7 X 10(-6) M), mepyramine (1.2 X 10(-6) M), methysergide (1.4 X 10(-6) M), phentolamine (1.8 X 10(-6) M), propranolol (1.9 X 10(-6) M) and indomethacin (7.0 X 10(-6) M), nor by the nerve paralyzing drug tetrodotoxin (1.6 X 10(-6) M). These results suggest the existence of BB receptors in the rat stomach strip. The results also suggest that the contractile effects of BB in this tissue result from a direct effect on the smooth muscle cell. The data derived from our structure-activity study indicate that deletion of the N-terminal sequence pGlu1-Gln2-Arg3-Leu4-Gly5- from the BB molecule causes practically no loss of affinity and intrinsic activity. Further shortening of BB gives rise to a gradual reduction of both parameters. Residual contractile activity could still be observed with the tetra- and pentapeptide BB-(11-14) and BB-(10-14) at 10(-5) M.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)