Peripheral injection of pancreatic polypeptide enhances colonic transit without eliciting anxiety or altering colonic secretion in rats

•We examined the effects of pancreatic polypeptide (PP) on anxiety, colonic transit and secretion, in rats.•PP administration did not affect anxiety behavior (the open field test) in rats.•Peripheral, but not central administration of PP enhances colonic transit in rats.•PP administration did not influence colonic secretory function.

Pancreatic polypeptide (PP) is a negative regulator of energy homeostasis that suppresses food intake and lowers body weight. Similar to other gastrointestinal-derived peptides, PP also modulates gastrointestinal motility and may be involved in the regulation of anxiety. Previous studies revealed that PP suppresses gastric emptying but increases colonic motility in mice. In our present study, we assessed the effect of PP on anxiety as well as colonic motility and secretory function. Intracerebroventricular and intravenous routes of PP were administered in conscious rats. Our results showed that intracerebroventricular administration of PP did not affect anxiety in the open field test. Intravenous injection of PP accelerated colonic transit, but did not significantly change fecal amount and fecal fluid composition. On the other hand, intracerebroventricular injection of PP did not alter colonic transit, fecal amount, or fluid composition. In conclusion, peripheral, but not central PP administration enhances colonic motility without eliciting anxiety or altering colonic secretion.