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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
High-throughput Measurement of Gut Transit Time Using Larval Zebrafish
Published on: October 23, 2018
Relationship between gastrointestinal transit time and anesthetic fasting protocols in the captive chimpanzee, Pan
A Ardente1, S Chinnadurai, R De Voe
1North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, USA. amanda.ardente@gmail.com
Background:
Lengthy social separation and prolonged fasting time contribute to increased risks associated with anesthesia in captive primates. This study is an initial attempt to identify a safe pre-anesthetic fasting procedure by identifying gastric emptying time (GET) and gastrointestinal transit time (GTT) of captive chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes.
Methods:
Seven adult chimpanzees at the North Carolina Zoo immobilized for annual physical examinations were fed barium-impregnated polyethylene spheres to measure GET. Eleven animals were individually fed a color dye marker and fecal passage was observed to determine GTT.
Results:
Gastric emptying time (GET) was approximated to be >3 hours but <16 hours. The mean GTT was 16.5 hours.
Conclusions:
This study indicates that a fasting time of 3 hours would allow for complete gastric emptying and could potentially replace the current overnight fast (≥16 hour) to help minimize complications associated with pre-anesthetic fasting in captive primates.
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