AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 250, Issue 2 149-G154, Copyright © 1986 by American Physiological Society
Somatostatin induces ectopic activity fronts via a local intestinal mechanism during fed state or pentagastrin
E. Schippers, J. Janssens, G. Vantrappen, M. Vandeweerd and T. L. Peeters
The effect of local intra-arterial infusions of somatostatin on small bowel
motility in the postprandial period and during an intravenous pentagastrin
infusion was studied in five dogs. A Silastic catheter was implanted in a
small branch of the superior mesenteric artery perfusing a 5-to 10-cm
jejunal segment located 30-40 cm distally to Treitz. Small bowel
myoelectric activity was recorded by means of a series of bipolar
electrodes implanted subserosally along the small intestine. Experiments
were started 2 wk after surgery and were performed in conscious animals.
Intra-arterial infusion of somatostatin induced activity fronts in the fed
state and during intravenous pentagastrin infusion in a dose-dependent
manner. These activity fronts always started at or just below the perfused
segment, migrated distally over the remaining small bowel, and were
superimposed on the fed pattern. We conclude that local administration of
somatostatin is able to initiate normally migrating ectopic activity
fronts, despite the presence of neural and hormonal factors that control
the fed state. Local release of somatostatin might be involved in the
initiation of spontaneously occurring activity fronts.
