[Persistent intestinal motility disorder after transient intestinal nematode infection in rats]

To investigate the intestinal motor function (distal colonic manometry and gastrointestinal transit time) after T. spiralis infection in rats.

Sprague-Dawley rats were infected by administering T. spiralis larvae. Rats were studied on 14, 42, and 56 days post-infection (PI). Age matched non-infected animals served as controls. All rats underwent colonic manometry and gastrointestinal transit time test.

(1) The small intestinal inflammation became the most severe on day 14 PI, and returned to normal on day 56. (2) The distal colonic manometry showed significantly active motility in acute infected rats either at rest or upon balloon stimulating. (3) Rat colonic motility parameters were not different from those of the control rats either at rest or upon small volume (1mL) balloon stimulating on day 42 and day 56 PI. But when the balloon was inflated with 2 mL of air, the colonic activity increased significantly compared with that of the control. (4) Gastrointestinal transit time was slower in acute and PI rats than that in the control group.

Intestinal motility function was abnormal persistently after transient intestinal nematode infection in rats either in distal colonic manometry or in gastrointestinal transit time.