[Studies on the motor function of canine gastric tube]

The need for a drainage procedure to facilitate emptying of the gastric tube remains a controversial issue. Then to elucidate whether we need a drainage procedure or not, on both gastric tube without drainage and with drainage, the author investigated the electromyographical changes of antrum and the manometric changes of pyloric portion before and after expansive stimulation, and observed the emptying of gastric tube. The results are summarized as follows: 1. In the gastric tube without drainage procedure, the prolongation of discharge intervals and the acceleration of propagation velocity were noted electromyographically, and the increase of pressure of pyloric portion was noted. When expansive stimulation was added, these findings were more enhanced. 2. In the gastric tube with pyloromyotomy, the states of electromyographical and manometrical excitation were weakened as compared with the gastric tube without drainage, and the reaction to expansive stimulation was also decreased. 3. By addition of pyloromyotomy, the emptying of gastric tube was more accelerated and the pattern of gastric emptying became nearly stabilized. The above results suggested that the gastric tube may need a drainage procedure to facilitate emptying.