title: A complex avian intestinal motility response to fasting.
abstract: The rhythmic oscillating complex (ROC) is described from a series of experiments that surveyed the myoelectric activity of the avian small intestine as recorded from chronically implanted bipolar electrodes. A highly organized myoelectric event in the fasting avian small intestine, the ROC is demonstrated in detail in chickens (Gallus); it is also found in other gallinaceous birds but not in owls (Strix) or mammals. The ROC comprises rapidly propagating bursts of spike potentials (SPBs) that occur in a regular and predictable pattern: single orad SPBs alternate with groups of aborad SPBs. An average ROC in a chicken contains a mean of 78.9 +/- 2.0 (mean +/- SE) SPBs (37% orad, 63% aborad) that rapidly traverse the full length of the small intestine. The aborad SPBs move at mean velocities of 25.0 +/- 0.5 cm/s and last a mean of 0.9 +/- 0.0 s at an electrode site; the orad SPBs are faster (41.2 +/- 2.3 cm/s) and longer in duration (1.3 +/- 0.0 s). ROC activity continues for a mean of 7.6 +/- 0.2 min. ROCs occur only in a well-fasted gut as often as every 3 h and apparently for as long as the bird remains without food. Because ROCs restimulate fed-state activity in the stomach and small intestine, we hypothesize that they recycle nutritive material for further digestive activity in the distal tract.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Clench
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mathias
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D004435:Eating; D004576:Electromyography; D005215:Fasting / Q000502:physiology*; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000502:physiology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000502:physiology; D009991:Oscillometry; D013270:Stomach / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors