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The newborn rat gastric emptying rate is volume and not developmentally dependent

C H F Ferreira1, Y Shifrin2, J Pan2

  • 1Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.

Neurogastroenterology and Motility
|October 13, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Newborn rat gastric emptying rate is determined by stomach content volume, not age. This occurs via Rho-kinase 2 (ROCK-2) pathway activation, suggesting volume, not just immaturity, impacts feeding tolerance.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Physiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Gastric residuals are common in enterally fed preterm neonates, often attributed to delayed gastric emptying due to immaturity.
  • While adult studies show meal volume influences gastric emptying, this effect in early life is not well-understood.
  • This study investigated postnatal changes in gastric emptying and muscle contraction in rats to understand these mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if stomach content volume or developmental factors regulate gastric emptying rate in newborn rats.
  • To investigate the role of the Rho-kinase 2 (ROCK-2) pathway in mediating gastric emptying.
  • To evaluate the effect of stomach wall strain on muscle contraction.

Main Methods:

  • Gastric volume and emptying rate were measured using ultrasound at various postprandial times in newborn rats.
  • Ex vivo experiments evaluated stomach wall strain-dependent muscle contraction.
  • ROCK-2 pathway activity was assessed.

Main Results:

  • Newborn rat gastric emptying rate was independent of postnatal age, peaking at 30 minutes postprandial.
  • Emptying rate was directly proportional to stomach content volume.
  • In vitro, gastric muscle contraction increased with stomach wall strain, mediated by ROCK-2 upregulation.

Conclusions:

  • Newborn rat gastric emptying is regulated by stomach content volume via ROCK-2 activation, not developmental immaturity.
  • Findings suggest that feeding tolerance in preterm neonates may be enhanced by considering gastric content volume.
  • Further clinical research is recommended to explore the impact of content volume on gastric emptying rates.
Abstract

Keywords:
milkrho-kinasestomach

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