[Control of antroduodenal motility in sheep]

The continuous but cyclic delivery of contents through the pylorus in the adult ruminant is regulated by the initiation of the migrating myoelectric complexes on the duodenal bulb. The motor responses of the pyloric antrum to the volume of digestive contents, the presence of lipids and ulcerogenic agents revealed that the inhibition of the motor antral activity, whatever its origin, resulted in a higher frequency of the duodenal cyclic motor events. Conversely, stimulation of duodenal motor activity, for example the increased frequency of migrating myoelectric complexes, resulted in the inhibition of the antral motor activity. It is suggested that the motor profile of the antroduodenal junction corresponded to interactions which fulfill the regulation of gastric emptying motor functions, with the first part of the duodenum as an extremely sensitive and rapid controlling mechanism.