The Role of Catecholamines in Maintenance of Homeostasis in Digestive Tract of Domestic Animals

Catecholamines have been identified after numerous studies at the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth century. Their hormonal role is evident through their receptors and is very important on all of the organs and body systems. Except for the hormonal one, catecholamines also have the role of neurotransmitters. The role of catecholamines is evident in humans and domesticated animals in their digestive system. They strongly support, through their receptors, motility and secretion in stomach and small and large intestine, in a way that they relax i.e. reduce tone of smooth musculature of stomach and bowels. In that way they actively participate in normal maintenance of their homeostasis. There are evident differences in representation and distribution of adrenergic (α and β) receptors in smooth musculature of stomach as well as the small and large intestines of domestic mammals and poultry. Noradrenaline with its activity through α – adrenoceptors significantly affects the increase of secretion in gastrointestinal tract. Through β–adrenoceptors, adrenaline affects the decrease of peristaltic movements in both small and large intestine, and, at the same time, decreases tone, i.e. motility in stomach of monogastric, as well as the rumen of polygastric, animals.