Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Impairment of Gastric and Jejunal Myoelectrical Activity During Rectal Distension in Dogs

  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is known that distension of the rectum induces gastric hypomotility and delays gastric emptying. Its effect on gastrointestinal myoelectrical activity has not been well studied, however. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of rectal distension on gastrointestinal myoelectrical activity in dogs. Six hound dogs implanted with electrodes on the serosa of the stomach and proximal jejunum were studied. The protocol consisted of a 30-min baseline recording and another 30-min recording during rectal distension. Gastric myoelectrical activity was severely impaired by rectal distension. The dominant power was significantly decreased from −2.79 ± 0.52 dB at baseline to −4.84 ± 1.26 dB during distension (P < 0.05). The percentage of normal 4–6 cycles per minute gastric slow waves was reduced from 95.08 ± 1.11% to 83.63 ± 4.00% (P < 0.02), and the percentage of tachygastria was increased during distension (0.33 ± 0.19% vs 6.03 ± 1.27%, P < 0.02). The instability coefficient of the dominant frequency was significantly increased (0.134 ± 0.012 vs 0.326 ± 0.074, P < 0.05). The percentage of slow wave coupling was reduced from 93.99 ± 0.76% to 73.43 ± 2.07% (P < 0.00003). In the small bowel, only the instability coefficient of dominant frequency showed a significant increase during distension. Other parameters were not affected by rectal distension. We conclude that rectal distension severely impairs gastric myoelectrical activity. The induced gastric dysrhythmia and reduced slow wave amplitude and coupling may be the underlying pathophysiology of gastric hypomotility and delayed gastric emptying observed during rectal distension.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Svedlund J, Sjödin I, Dotevall G, Gillberg R: Upper gastrointestinal and mental symptoms in the irritable bowel syndrome. Scand J Gastroenterol 20:595-601, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  2. van Wijk HJ, Smout AJPM, Akkermans LMA, Roelofs JMM, ten Thije OJ: Gastric emptying and dyspeptic symptoms in the irritable bowel syndrome. Scand J Gastroenterol 27:99-102, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  3. Reynolds JC, Ouyang A, Lee CA, Baker L, Sunshine AG, Cohen S: Chronic severe constipation. Gastroenterology 92:414, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  4. Cannon WB, Murphy FT: Physiological observations on experimentally produced ileus. JAMA 49:840-843, 1907

    Google Scholar 

  5. Pearcy JF, Van Liere EJ: Studies on the visceral nervous system XVII. Reflex from the colon. Am J Physiol 78:64-73, 1926

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kellow JE, Gill RC, Wingate DL: Modulation of human upper gastrointestinal motility by rectal distension. Gut 28:864-868, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  7. Youle MS, Read NW: Effect of painless rectal distension on gastrointestinal transit of solid meal. Dig Dis Sci 29:902-906, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  8. King CE: Studies on intestinal inhibitory reflexes. Am J Physiol 70:183-193, 1924

    Google Scholar 

  9. Loew ER, Patterson TL: The reflex influence of the lower portion of the large gut on the tonus and movements of the empty stomach in the dogs. Am J Physiol 113:89-90, 1935

    Google Scholar 

  10. Youmans WB, Meek WJ: Reflex and humoral gastro-intestinal inhibition in unanesthetized dogs during rectal stimulation. Am J Physiol 120:750-757, 1937

    Google Scholar 

  11. Bojö L, Cassuto J: Gastric reflex relaxation by colonic distension. J Auton Nerv Syst 38:57-64, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  12. Abrahamsson H, Glise H, Glise K: Reflex suppression of gastric motility during laparotomy and gastroduodenal nociceptive stimulation. Scand J Gastroenterol 14:101-106, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  13. Glise H, Abrahamsson H: Reflex vagal inhibition of gastric motility by intestinal nociceptive stimulation in the cat. Scand J Gastroenterol 15:769-774, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  14. Jansson G, Martinson J: Some quantitative considerations on vagally induced relaxation of the gastric smooth muscle in the cat. Acta Physiol Scand 63:351-357, 1965

    Google Scholar 

  15. Jansson G: Vago-vagal reflex relaxation of the stomach in the cat. Acta Physiol Scand 75:245-252, 1969

    Google Scholar 

  16. Glise H, Lindahl BO, Abrahamsson H: Reflex adrenergic inhibition of gastric motility by nociceptive intestinal stimulation and peritoneal irritation in the cat. Scand J Gastroenterol 15:673-681, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  17. Grundy D, Salih AA, Scratcherd T: Modulation of vagal efferent fiber discharge by mechanoreceptors in the stomach, duodenal and colon of the ferret. J Physiol 319:43-52, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  18. Grundy D, Scratcherd T: A splanchno-vagal component of the inhibition of gastric motility by distension of the intestine. In Motility of the Digestive Tract. M Weinback (eds). New York, Raven Press, 1982, pp 39-43

    Google Scholar 

  19. Jansson G, Lisander B: On adrenergic influence on gastric motility in chronically vagotomized cats. Acta Physiol Scand 76:463-471, 1969

    Google Scholar 

  20. Glise H, Abrahamsson H: Spino-vagal nonadrenergic inhibition of gastric motility elicited by abdominal nociceptive stimulation in the cat. Scand J Gastroent 15:665-672, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  21. Gue M, Junien JL, Bueno L: The kappa agonist fedotozine modulates colonic distention-induced inhibition of gastric motility and emptying in dogs. Gastroenterology 107:1327-1334, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  22. Musial F, Crowell MD, French AW, Guiv N: Effect of prolonged, continuous rectal distention on mouth-to-cecum and colonic transit time in pigs. Physiol Behav 52:1021-1024, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  23. Sarna SK: Gastrointestinal electrical activity: terminology. Gastroenterology 68:1361-1365, 1975

    Google Scholar 

  24. Kelly KA, Code CF, Elveback LR: Patterns of canine gastric electrical activity. Am J Physiol 217:461-470, 1969

    Google Scholar 

  25. Hinder RA, Kelly KA: Human gastric pacesetter potential. Site of origin, spread and response to gastric transection and proximal gastric vagotomy. Am J Surg 133:29-33, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  26. Koch KL, Stern RM, Stewart WR, Vasey MW: Gastric emptying and gastric myoelectrical activity in patients with diabetic gastroparesis: Effect of long-term domperidone treatment. Am J Gastroenterol 84:1069-1075, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  27. Abell TL, Camilleri M, Hench VS, Malagelada J-R: Gastric electromechanical function and gastric emptying in diabetic gastroparesis. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 3:163-167, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  28. Mantides A, Stefanides G, Kioulanis J, Tzovaras G, Epanomeritakis E, Xynos E: Cutaneous electrogastrography for the assessment of gastric myoelectrical activity in type I diabetes mellitus. Am J Gastroenterol 92:1190-1193, 1997

    Google Scholar 

  29. Bortolotti M, Sarti P, Barara L, Brunelli F: Gastric myoelectrical activity in patients with chronic idiopathic gastroparesis. J Gastrointest Motil 2:104-108, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  30. Chen J, MaCallum RW: Gastric slow wave abnormalities in patients with gastroparesis. Am J Gastroenterol 87:477-482, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  31. Rothstein RD, Alavi A, Reynolds JC: Electrogastrography in patients with gastroparesis and effect of long-time cisapride. Dig Dis Sci 38:1518-1524, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  32. Chen JDZ, Schirmer BD, MaCallum RW: Serosal and cutaneous recordings of gastric myoelectrical activity in patients with gastroparesis. Am J Physiol 266:G90-G98, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  33. You CH, Lee KY, Chey WY, Menguy R: Electrogastrographic study of patients with unexplained nausea, bloating, and vomiting. Gastroenterology 79:311-314, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  34. You CH, Chey WY, Lee KY, Menguy R, Bortoff A: Gastric and small intestinal myoelectrical dysrhythmia associated with chronic intractable nausea and vomiting. Ann Intern Med 95:449-451, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  35. Chen J, Stewart WR, McCallum RW: Spectral analysis of episodic rhythmic variations in gastric myoelectrical potentials. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 40:128-135, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  36. Chen J: A computerized data analysis system for electrogastrogram. Comp Biomed Eng 40:128-135, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  37. Wang Z, Chen JDZ: Detection of spikes and motility parameters from chaos-like serosal recordings of gastrointestinal myoelectrical activity. Proc 20th Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 20:3234-3237, 1998

    Google Scholar 

  38. Wang Z, Elsenbruch S, Orr WC, Chen JDZ: Effect of sleep on the propagation of gastric myoelectric slow waves. Gastroenterology 116:G4773, 1999 (abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  39. Park S, Hooper F, Palaniappan J, Owyang C, Hasler W: Rectogastric reflex-induced gastric hypersensitivity and gastric slow wave dysrhythmia with mechanical distention and meal ingestion: A model for dyspepsia with functional lower gut disorders. The Program of the Sixth International Workshop on Electrogastrography, New Orleans, May 1998, p 42 (abstract)

  40. Riezzo G, Pezzolla F, Darconza G, Giorgio I: Gastric myoelectrical activity in the first trimester of pregnancy: A cutaneous electrogastrographic study. Am J Gastroenterol 87:702-707, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  41. Chen JD, Mittal RK: Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and cytaneous electrogram. Gastroenterology 104:1569-1571, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  42. Stern RM, Koch KL, Stewart WR: Spectral analysis of tachygastria recorded motion sickness. Gastroenterology 92:92-97, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  43. Code CF, Marlett JA: Modern medical physiology: Canine tachygastria. Mayo Clin Proc 49:325-332, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  44. Chen JDZ, Richards RD, McCallum RW: Identification of gastric contractions from the cutaneous electrogastrogram. Am J Gastroenterol 89:79-85, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  45. Smout AJPM, van der Schee EJ, Grashuis JL: What is measured in electrogastrography? Dig Dis Sci 25:179-187, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  46. Qian L, Peters LJ, Chen JDZ: Effects of electroacupuncture on gastric migrating myoelectrical complex in dogs. Dig Dis Sci 44:56-62, 1999

    Google Scholar 

  47. Lin XM, Abo M, Zhou XP, Chen JDZ: Gastric slow wave uncoupling and delayed gastric emptying induced by duodenal distention. Gastroenterology 116:G4224, 1999 (abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  48. Lin XM, Wang ZS, Chen JDZ: Impaired propagation and coupling of gastric myoelectrical activity in patients with functional dyspepsia. Gastroenterology 116:G0586, 1999 (abstract)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lynn Institute for Healthcare Research, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

    Masaki Abo, Toshihiko Kono, Zhishun Wang & J.D.Z. Chen

Authors
  1. Masaki Abo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Toshihiko Kono
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhishun Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J.D.Z. Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Abo, M., Kono, T., Wang, Z. et al. Impairment of Gastric and Jejunal Myoelectrical Activity During Rectal Distension in Dogs. Dig Dis Sci 45, 1731–1736 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005590413490

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005590413490

Search

Navigation