Fasting and postprandial small intestinal slow waves non-invasively measured in subjects with total gastrectomy.
OBJECTIVE
Slow wave is essential to initiate gastrointestinal tract motility. Subjects with total gastrectomy (TG) provide an opportunity to study small intestinal slow wave in the absence of stomach interference. The aims of this study were to determine the origin of 3 cycles per min (cpm) slow wave recorded via electrogastrogram (EGG) and the characteristics of putative small intestinal slow waves in TG subjects.


METHODS
Thirty-three subjects with TG (25 male, age: 44-83 years) were consecutively enrolled. In each subject, the myoelectricity-like signals of the gastrointestinal tract were recorded using 3-channel EGG. Fourier transform-based spectral analysis was performed to derive the EGG parameters including dominant frequency/power, % normal rhythm (2-4 cpm), and power ratio.


RESULTS
Neither visual nor spectral analysis of the EGG revealed any waves at a frequency of about 3 cpm. The most frequently observed peaks in the power spectra of all subjects were those at approximately 1, approximately 6 and approximately 11 cpm with occurrences of 97%, 6.1% and 90.9%, respectively. Based on visual analysis of all recorded signals, the approximately 11 cpm signal was exactly rhythmically recorded rather than the approximately 1 cpm. The recorded approximately 11 cpm wave had a frequency of 10.9 +/- 1.0 cpm in the fasting state and 10.9 +/- 1.3 cpm in the fed state (NS), and a power of 31.5 +/- 3.2 dB in the fasting state and 35.2 +/- 3.8 dB in the fed state (P < 0.0001). None of other factors, including sex, age, and body mass index, had any impact on this approximately 11 cpm wave.


CONCLUSIONS
Small intestinal slow wave can be recorded non-invasively using EGG via cutaneous electrodes in TG subjects. Sex, age and body mass index have no effect on the intestinal slow waves. The power rather than frequency of intestinal slow wave is increased after a solid meal.
Chang
Full-Young
FY
Division of Gastroenterology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. changfy@vghtpe.gov.tw
Lu
Ching-Liang
CL
Chen
Chih-Yen
CY
Luo
Jiing-Chyuan
JC
Lee
Shou-Dong
SD
Wu
Han-Chang
HC
Chen
Jiande Z
JZ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D005215:Fasting / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019518:Postprandial Period / Q000502:physiology*