Effects of feeding a standard diet on duodenal impedancometry in pigs

The effects of gastric feeding on intestinal motility are still under debate. In order to better define the character of the contractile activity in fed and fasting states, we used the impedance technique to investigate the duodenal time periods of the migrating motor complex (MMC) and the interdigestive phases I-III. During general anaesthesia, pigs (32-40 kg) were instrumented with a luminal impedance catheter into the proximal duodenum in fasting (n = 6) and fed states (n = 6, Muskator, 400 g, Muskator-Werk, Düsseldorf, Germany). Duodenal motility was recorded continuously for 4 h, which made it possible to determine the length of interdigestive phases I-III and the MMC cycle. Differences between the groups were compared by using the Wilcoxon Rank-Sum Test. Feeding patterns were only found in pigs in the fed state. The subsequent MMC cycle length was shortened by 34% (p = 0.007) which was due to a shortened phase I of the MMC cycle (p = 0.014). While phase II seemed to be unaffected, phase III was prolonged by 31% after feeding had occurred (p = 0.012). The present study suggests that a standard maintenance diet disrupts the spontaneous MMC cycles by turning into fed pattern with the subsequent MMC cycle length being shortened. This was mainly due to a shortened phase I.