Peptide histidine isoleucine, a 27 amino acid peptide with close amino acid sequence homology to vasoactive intestinal peptide and secretin, is distributed throughout the mammalian intestinal tract, where it has been localised to intramural neurones. An intestinal perfusion technique has been used to study the effect of intravenous peptide histidine isoleucine (44.5 pmol/kg/min) on water and electrolyte transport from a plasma like electrolyte solution in human jejunum in vivo. Peptide histidine isoleucine infusion produced peak plasma peptide histidine isoleucine concentrations in the range 2000-3000 pmol/l, flushing, tachycardia and a reduction in diastolic blood pressure. Peptide histidine isoleucine caused a significant inhibition of net absorption of water, sodium, potassium and bicarbonate and induced a net secretion of chloride, these changes being completely reversed during the post-peptide histidine isoleucine period.
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