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On the gastrocecal inhibitory reflex in the rat
Acta Medica Okayama
|November 1, 1981
Summary
Stomach distention inhibits rat cecal motility via a reflex. This gastrocecal reflex involves the greater splanchnic nerves and thoracic spinal cord segments below the 6th.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Neuroscience
- Physiology
Background:
- Gastric distention can influence gastrointestinal motility.
- The neural pathways regulating the gastrocecal reflex are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of stomach distention on cecal motility in rats.
- To elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying the gastrocecal inhibitory reflex.
Main Methods:
- Rats were anesthetized with urethane.
- Gastric distention was induced by pressure (25-30 cm H2O).
- Surgical interventions included vagotomy, splanchnic nerve severance, and spinal cord transection at different thoracic levels. Guanethidine was administered intravenously.
Main Results:
- Distention of the stomach's pars glandularis inhibited cecal motility.
- This reflex was unaffected by vagotomy but abolished by splanchnic nerve severance or guanethidine.
- The reflex persisted after spinal cord transection at T5 but was abolished below T6.
Conclusions:
- The gastrocecal inhibitory reflex is mediated primarily by the greater splanchnic nerves.
- The reflex center is located in thoracic spinal cord segments caudal to T6.
- This study clarifies the neural circuitry of the gastrocecal reflex.