Gastric Motility And Secretion Flashcards
What are the functions of the stomach?
Store food
Minimize ingestion of bacteria via acidic pH
Dissolve + partially digest the macromolecules in food (semi-digested = chyme)
Regulate the rate at which the stomach contents empty into SI
Secrete IF
What does gastric motility allow the stomach to do?
Serve as a reservoir for a large volume of food
Fragment food into smaller particles + mix it with gastric secretions
Empty gastric contents into duodenum at a controlled rate
What are the 2 divisions of the stomach based on motility variations?
- Orad (superior body)
2. Caudad (inferior body)
What are the four layers of the GI tract wall from the lower oesophagus, down to the anal canal (from lumen outwards)?
- Mucosa
- Submucosa
- Muscularis (circular + longitudinal)
- Serosa
How much liquid has the empty stomach got in it?
50ml
What state is the stomach in when it is empty?
When the stomach is empty, it is contracted + the mucosa/submucosa are highly folded into rugae making it very small
What determines the gastric motility of a piece of GI tract?
The movements of the circular + longitudinal muscularis layer of the wall
What is receptive relaxation?
When food is swallowed, the SM in the wall of the orad region of the stomach relaxes + the rugae unfold enabling the stomach to increase in volume to as much as 1.5L with little pressure increase
How does the parasympathetic nervous system innervate the GI tract?
Vagal nuclei -> vagal nerves
Sacral spinal cord -> pelvic nerves
Innervates the ENS (myenteric + submucosal plexus) -> SM, secretory cells, endocrine cells + blood vessels
How does the sympathetic nervous system innervate the GI tract?
CNS preganglionic fibres -> sympathetic ganglia -> postganglionic fibres -> ENS (myenteric + submucosal plexus) -> SM, secretory cells, endocrine cells + blood vessels
What is the Enteric Nervous System (ENS)?
The GI tracts intrinsic localised innervation consisting of 2 nerve networks; myenteric plexus + submucosal plexus
How is receptive relaxation mediated?
By the vagus nerve which coordinates with the ENS which release NO + 5-HT which relax SM cells in the stomach wall
Also coordination with swallowing centre in brain
How does gastric motility allow the stomach to serve as a reservoir for a large volume of food?
Predominant motor activity of the orad region if the accommodation of ingested food (receptive relaxation) because muscle layers are thin so contracts in this region are weak + do not do much -> gastric contents remain in relatively undisturbed layers for an hour or > after eating
How does mixing occur in the stomach?
- Gastric contractions (peristaltic waves) begin in body of stomach + move towards the antrum
- As the wave approaches the antrum they become more powerful contractions
- Pyloric sphincter closes
- Most of antrum contents forced backwards into body of stomach (retropulsion) mixing food with acid + digestive enzymes whilst food is hitting the back
What is peristalsis?
Waves of alternating contractions + relaxations of SM layers that mix + squeeze the contents through hollow tubes to move a bolus along the GI tract
How does peristalsis occur?
- Contraction of circular muscles behind bolus
- Contraction of longitudinal muscles ahead of bolus
- Contraction in circular muscle layer forces bolus forward
What is segmentation?
Cycles of contraction that mix contents but do not push them in any one direction churning + fragmenting the bolus mixing it with intestinal secretions
How do GI tract contractions come about electrophysiologically?
Contractions derive from 2 basic patterns of electrical activity across the SMC membranes: slow waves + APs
SMC undergoes spontaneous cycles of depolarization + repolarization due to Na+ leaking out of cell then coming back in (basic electrical rhythm of GI tract) - this brings about slow waves as not strong enough to make APs
Why do slow waves happen?
Result from fluctuations in membrane potential spreading to adjacent sections of SM that are electrically coupled by gap junctions
What frequency do gastric slow waves occur at?
~3 per minute
What generates the gastric slow wave rhythm?
Pacemaker zone
What do slow waves do?
They DO NOT elicit contractions, they co-ordinate contractions by controlling the appearance of APs
How do action potentials come about after slow waves?
Excitatory neurotransmitters + hormones further depolarize the membrane increasing the slow wave amplitude
If the peak of a slow wave rises above a certain threshold, the cell fires one or > APs
What do action potentials (APs) do?
Elicit muscle contraction - no. + frequency of APs occurring at the slow wave peak determines the strength of muscle contraction
How does gastric emptying occur?
Coordinated contractile activity of the stomach, pylorus + proximal SI