Sympathetic nervous control of gastric motility and interaction with vagal activity

Gastro-gastric reflexes controlling gastric motility were studied in anaesthetized cats. Distensions and contractions of the gastric wall elicited two different inhibitory responses: 1) A spinal adrenergic reflex inhibiting cholinergic neurons in the gastric wall leading to suppression of rhythmic gastric contractions and increasing gastric reservoir capacity. 2) A vago-vagal reflex involving non-adrenergic vagal fibres to the stomach. This latter storage reflex seems to be of major importance for gastric reservoir capacity. It is concluded that stimulation of gastric mechanoreceptors activates sympathetic adrenergic reflexes which together with simultaneously activated vagal inhibitory reflexes can influence gastric contractions and reservoir capacity.