The relation between antral contractile activity and the duodenal component of the migrating motility complex

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between antral and duodenal fasting motor activity in 19 healthy volunteers using a perfused tube assembly with side-holes placed in the distal antrum, second part of the duodenum and in the duodenum near the ligament of Treitz. Registrations were performed until the end of the second duodenal phase III. Eighty-two per cent of the duodenal phases III were preceded by antral activity. The duration of duodenal phase III showed a positive correlation to the preceding number of antral contractions (p less than 0.001) as well as to antral phase III (p less than 0.05), but no correlation to the duration of antral phase III was found. The duration of the migrating motility complex (MMC) showed a positive correlation to the duration of duodenal phase III (p less than 0.05), but no correlation to the preceding number of antral contractions were found. It may be concluded that the level of duodenal activity is very dependent on the preceding antral activity.