Abstract
No extensive information exists in literature concerning the late or residual effects of stress on motility of small bowel and colon. Moreover, the duration and magnitude of the intestinal motor response to stress are still ignored. Therefore, the aim of our work was to determine, in rat, the effect of long-duration stress induced by restraint on the motility of small bowel and colon. Observations were made during physical restraint and 60 h later. Bipolar electrodes were implanted on the gastrointestinal serosa from the pylorus to the sigmoid colon in male Wistar rats. Electromyographic (EMG) recordings were made during fasting state, and a control EMG recording session was performed during 12 hr, followed by a 12-hr recording during restraint stress. After a 60-hr resting period, another EMG recording session was performed during 3 hr. During stress in the pylorus and small bowel, the recurrence of migrating myoelectrical complexes (MMCs) was immediately interrupted and replaced by a continuous and irregular activity. The motility index (number of spike bursts/10 min) was augmented rapidly on the jejunum and ileum, but it increased only gradually on the pylorus. Only on the transverse colon were the number of spike bursts/hour and their relative duration increased after 7 hr of physical restraint. In contrast, the sigmoid colon displayed a gradual decrease in the relative duration of contractile activity during the first 6–7 hr of stress. At 60 hr after stress in the pylorus and small bowel, a normal control motor activity was restored (MMC, motility index) on the jejunum and on the ileum, but the motility index on the pylorus was decreased. Throughout the colon, a faster motor activity as well as an increase in the number of spike bursts/hour was observed. In conclusion, a 12hr physical restraint stress induced instant drastic changes in small bowel motility, but a normal motility pattern was rapidly restored after the end of the stress period. However, on the colon, the motor changes are moderate at the beginning of the restraint period, then gradually increased with time, and were still largely persistent three days after the cessation of physical restraint.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Latimer P, Sarna S, Cambell D, Latimer M, Waterfall W, Daniel EE: Colonic motor and myoelectric activity: A comparative study of normal subjects, psychoneurotic patients and patients with IBS. Gastroenterology 80:893–901, 1981
Sarna SK, Waterfall WE, Bardakjian BL, Lind JF: Types of human colonic electrical activities recorded postoperatively. Gastroenterology 81:61–70, 1981
Schang JC, Hemond M: Myoelectric activity and intraluminal flow on human sigmoid colon. Dig Dis Sci 31:1331–1337, 1986
Wright SH, Snape WJ, Battle W, Cohen S, London RL: Effect of dietary components on gastrocolonic response. Am J Physiol 238:G228-G232, 1980
Sarna SK, Condon R, Cowles V: Colonic migrating and nonmigrating motor complexes in dogs. Am J Physiol 246:G355-G360, 1984
Ferré JP, Ruckebusch Y: Myoelectrical activity and propulsion in the large intestine of fed and fasted rats. J Physiol 362:93–106, 1985
Gue M, Honde C, Pascaud X, Junien JL, Alvinerie M, Bueno L: CNS blockade of acoustic stress-induced gastric motor inhibition by K-opiate agonists in dogs. Am J Physiol 254:G802-G807, 1988
Valori RM, Kumar D, Wingate DL: Effects of different types of stress and of “prokinetic” drugs on the control of the fasting motor complex in humans. Gastroenterology 90:1890–1900, 1986
Fioramonti J, Buéno L: Gastrointestinal myoelectric activity disturbances in gastric ulcer disease in rats and dogs. Dig Dis Sci 25:575–580, 1980
Lenz HJ, Raedler A, Greten H, Vale WW, Rivier JE: Stress-induced gastrointestinal secretory and motor responses in rats are mediated by endogenous corticotropinreleasing factor. Gastroenterology 95:1510–1517, 1988
Lenz HJ: Neurohumoral pathways mediating stress-induced changes in rat gastrointestinal transit. Gastroenterology 97:216–218, 1989
Williams CL, Villar RG, Peterson JM, Burks TF: Stress induced changes in intestinal transit in the rat: A model for irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology 94:611–621, 1988
O'Brien JD, Thompson GD, Hally J, Burnham WR, Walker E: Stress disturbs human gastrointestinal transit via a beta-1 adrenoreceptor mediated pathway. Gastroenterology 88:1520(a), 1985
Narducci F, Snape WJ, Battle WM, London RL, Cohen S: Increased colonic motility during exposure to a stressful situation. Dig Dis Sci 30:40–44, 1985
Frexinos J, Fioramonti J, Bueno L: Colonic myoelectrical activity in IBS painless diarrhoea. Gut 28:1613–1618, 1987
Dapoigny M, Trolese JF, Bommelaer G, Tournut R: Réponse colique au repas du côlon droit, du côlon gauche, du recto-sigmoīde et de la charnière recto-sigmoīdienne au cours des troubles fonctionnels digestifs. Gastroenterol Clin Biol 12:361–367, 1988
Schang JC, Devroede G, Hebert M, Hemond M, Pilote M, Devroede L: Effect of rest, stress and food on myoelectric spiking activity of left and sigmoīd colon in humans. Dig Dis Sci 33:614–618, 1988
Garrick T, Leung FW, Buack S, Hirahayashi K, Guth PL: Gastric motility is stimulated but overall blood flow is unaffected during cold restraint in the rat. Gastroenterology 91:141–148, 1986
Wienbeck M, Christensen J: Effects of some drugs on electrical activity of the isolated colon of the cat. Gastroenterology 61:670–678, 1971
Cohen M, Pickar D, Dubois M, Roth YF, Waber D, Bunney WE: Surgical stress and endorphins. Lancet 1:213–214, 1981
Williams CL, Peterson JM, Villar RG, Burks TF: Corticotropin-releasing factor directly mediates colonic responses to stress. Am J Physiol 253:G582-G586, 1987
Goto Y, Yamasaki K, Kannbe T, Yabunchi H: Significant changes in brain amino-acids contents by cold-restraint stress in the rat. Gastroenterology 94:A152, 1988
Rossi G, Bonfils S, Lieffogh F, Lambling A: Technique nouvelle pour produire des ulcérations gastriques chez le rat blanc: l'ulcère de contrainte. CR Soc Biol 150:2124–2126, 1959
Welgan P, Meshkinpour H, Beeler M: Effect of anger on colon motor and myoelectric activity in irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology 94:1150–1156, 1988
Hasler W, Kurosawa S, Owyang C: Cholinergic transmission in guinea pig colonic myenteric plexus: Regional differences between distal and proximal colon. Gastroenterology 94:A176, 1988
Youmans WB: Innervation of the gastrointestinal tract.In Handbook of Physiology, Alimentary Canal, Vol 4. CF Code, (ed). Washington, DC, American Physiological Society, 1968, 1655–1663
Polak JM, Bloom SR: Peptide-containing nerves in the gastrointestinal tract. Gastroenterology 80:624–625, 1981
Ferri GL, Adrian TE, Allen JM, Soimero L, Cancellieri A, Yeats JC, Blank M, Polak JM, Bloom SR: Intramural distribution of regulatory peptides in the sigmoīd-recto-anal region of the human gut. Gut 29:762–768, 1988
Rostad H: Central and peripheral nervous control of colonic motility in the cat. Acta Physiol Scand 89:79–181, 1973
Wienbeck M, Dunzen R, Korner M, Berges W, Strohmeyer G: Enkephalins affect colonic motility. Gastroenterology 78:1290, 1980
Sun EA, Snape WJ Jr, Cohen S, Denny A: The role of opiate receptors and cholinergic neurons in the gastrocolonic responses. Gastroenterology 82:689–693, 1982
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wittmann, T., Crenner, F., Angel, F. et al. Long-duration stress. Digest Dis Sci 35, 495–500 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01536925
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01536925