Disturbances in the electrical and contractile gastric activities after bilateral transthoracic vagotomy

Experiments were made on four dogs with chronically implanted electrodes. Fistula according to Bassov was made in one of the animals, and in each of the remaining three - two semiconductor silicon tensotransducers were sewn to the gastric wall. Bilateral transthoracic vagotomy results in inco-ordination between the rhythm of slow potentials generation from the body and from the antrum of the stomach. Slow potentials and contractions with frequencies usual for the stomach are recorded from the body of the stomach, while in the antrum there appear from time to time bursts of slow potential groups with relatively high frequency. These groups are not followed by contractions of the stomach wall or by changes in the intragastric pressure. Bilateral transthoracic vagotomy leads to disturbances in the conduction of the slow potential generated in the proximal segments of the stomach, as well as to distrubances in the propagation of the peristaltic wave.