title: Effect of Ethanol Exposure on Slow Wave Activity and Smooth Muscle Contraction in the Rat Small Intestine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ethanol ingestion causes a variety of gastrointestinal disturbances including motility alterations. Slow wave propagation coordinates gastrointestinal motility, and abnormal slow wave activity is thought to contribute to motility disorders. To date, however, little is known about the effect of acute ethanol on motility disturbances associated with slow wave activity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of ethanol on small intestine slow wave activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Segments (3-5 cm long) were isolated from the rat duodenum, jejunum, and ileum and mounted in an organ bath superfused with a normal Tyrode solution or with 1, 3, or 5% ethanol containing Tyrode. The electrical activities were recorded using an array of 121 extracellular electrodes, and motility recordings were performed using a digital video camera.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency and amplitude of slow wave activity were not altered at 1, 3, or 5% ethanol concentrations, but a significant drop in velocity was found at 3 and 5% ethanol. Furthermore, inexcitable areas appeared in a dose-dependent manner. Slow wave was sometimes also seen to propagate in a circular fashion, thereby describing a reentrant loop. Finally, in all duodenal, jejunal, and ileal segments, ethanol inhibited contractions and became fully quiescent at 3-5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These studies for the first time demonstrate that ethanol significantly inhibits slow wave and spike activity in a dose-dependent manner and could also initiate reentrant activities. Intestinal contractions were also inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, ethanol inhibits both slow wave activity and motor activity to cause ethanol-induced intestinal disturbances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. sandeep.bs@uaeu.ac.ae.
authors.forename: Sandeep B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Subramanya
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. bettys@uaeu.ac.ae.
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stephen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. nairsoumya2010@uaeu.ac.ae.
authors.forename: Soumya S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.affiliation: University of Applied Sciences, Kaiserslautern, Germany. karl-herbert.schaefer@fh-kl.de.
authors.forename: Karl-Herbert
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. wlammers@smoothmap.org.
authors.forename: Wim J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lammers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Ethanol; Intestinal motility; Reentry; Slow wave