[Electrostimulation of ileum and jejunum reservoirs in an acute and chronic experiment]

Abstract

Voluntary control of the motility of intestinal reservoirs may be used to improve evacuation and continence. In 4 dogs a U-shaped jejunum pouch and in another 4 an ileum pouch was constructed and instrumented with stimulating and EMG electrodes and pressure lines. In the acute experiments jejunum pouch stimulation with 200 microseconds 1.67 kHz 30 mA increased the intrapouch pressure by 38 +/- 4 mm Hg (n = 6) and 500 microseconds 910 Hz 25 mA by 60 +/- 5 mm Hg (n = 3). The pressure increase in the awake animals was consistently lower (200 microseconds 4 +/- 6 mm Hg, n = 9; 500 microseconds 25 +/- 17, n = 11). The ileum pouch responded with a 37 +/- 10 mm Hg pressure increase (n = 9) to 50 ms 6 Hz 20 mA pulse trains. Ileum pouches could not be stimulated in the awake animal due to contraction of the abdominal wall. Electrostimulation may be used to contract and evacuate intestinal reservoirs but additional drug therapy or autonomic nerve stimulation will be necessary to lower the thresholds especially for ileum stimulation in the awake animal.