The Role of Gasotransmitters in Gut Peptide Actions

Wout Verbeure; Harry van Goor; Hideki Mori; André P van Beek; Jan Tack; Peter R van Dijk

doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.720703

The Role of Gasotransmitters in Gut Peptide Actions

Front Pharmacol. 2021 Jul 20:12:720703. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.720703. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Wout Verbeure¹, Harry van Goor², Hideki Mori¹, André P van Beek², Jan Tack¹, Peter R van Dijk²

Affiliations

¹ Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
² Departement of Endocrinology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.

Abstract

Although gasotransmitters nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) receive a bad connotation; in low concentrations these play a major governing role in local and systemic blood flow, stomach acid release, smooth muscles relaxations, anti-inflammatory behavior, protective effect and more. Many of these physiological processes are upstream regulated by gut peptides, for instance gastrin, cholecystokinin, secretin, motilin, ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide 1 and 2. The relationship between gasotransmitters and gut hormones is poorly understood. In this review, we discuss the role of NO, CO and H₂S on gut peptide release and functioning, and whether manipulation by gasotransmitter substrates or specific blockers leads to physiological alterations.

Keywords: carbon monoxide; gasotransmitters; gut peptide; hydrogen sulfide; nitric oxide.

Publication types

Review