Impaired bowel motility following small intestinal transplantation

Little information is available concerning motility following bowel transplantation and the appropriate timing of offering enteral feedings. Eight Lewis rats (300 g) underwent small bowel transplant as described by R. P. Harmel, Jr., and H. Stanley (J. Pediatr. Surg. 21:214, 1986). Silver oxide electrodes were placed in the native proximal ileum and in the distal segment of the homograft. Four control rats underwent laparotomy and placement of silver oxide electrodes in the jejunum and proximal ileum. Leads were brought out through a stab wound and the abdominal incision was closed. The electrodes were connected to a continuous recorder. Basal electrical rhythm (BER) was recorded periodically and was evaluated daily as the average of three readings per animal per day. Homograft electrical activity was not observed until at least 40 hr post-transplant and never attained the level of BER of the native intestine (P less than 0.05). Myoelectric complex potentials were not observed in the transplanted rats until post-operative day 11. These data suggest that basal electrical activity is significantly impaired following bowel transplantation. This study indicates that intestinal activity can be monitored for extended periods of time and may be a useful method of evaluating recovery of motility post bowel transplant prior to initiating enteral intake.