Lecture 2 - Motility Flashcards
What is the special type of motility of the interdigestive state? Describe it.
Migrating myoelectric complex (MMC) = housekeeping wavelike sequential contractions to sweep undigested material and bacteria into colon active from mid-stomach through terminal ileum
When does the interdigestive state occur?
3-4 hours after eating, when the food is past the upper GIT and in the ileum or lower
Describe the phases of the migrating myoelectric complex.
4 phases lasting a total of 75 to 120 minutes:
- Phases I, II, and IV have minor and disregulated contractions
- Phase III contractions last 10 min/cycle but these sweep material lower in the GIT
What is phase III of the MMC stimulated by?
Stimulated by motilin, secreted into blood from the M cells of the duodenum
What allows the enterocytes to be viable for longer?
MMC
Describe swallowing.
- Starts as voluntary action with the skeletal muscle in the mouth and pharynx
- Continues as involuntary action as soon as bolus enters the esophagus as the enteric and ANS systems take over
What are the 2 types of esophageal propulsions? Describe each.
- Primary esophageal peristalsis: caused by the medullary swallowing center, more of an extrinsic effect due to vagal innervation (ENS is also helping, but not main mechanism)
- Secondary esophageal peristalsis: more of an intrinsic effect due to local ENS (but vagus can help) stimulation of salivation and mucus secretions to lubricate stuck bolus of food and contractions
Can smooth muscle disorders in the GIT affect the enteric nerves? Example?
YUP
Achalasia: smooth muscle disorder in the lower esophageal sphincter which cannot relax making it hard for food to be propelled to stomach => esophagus dilates => very painful to eat and patients often become anorexic
Achalasia treatment? Side effect? Treatment for side effect?
No pharmacological treatment, but we can clip the esophageal sphincter to make it floppy
Side effect: GERD, which can be treated with H2 antagonist to lesser the HCl secretion in the stomach to avoid erosion of the esophagus
What does GERD stand for?
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
What is gastric accommodation? What to note?
As food enters the stomach it will expand and relax due to vagal stimulation causing VIP release so that intraluminal pressure will not increase until 1 L as entered the stomach
This also happens in the duodenum to a certain extent
Other name for gastric accommodation?
Receptive relaxation
Describe bariatric surgery.
Goal is to reduce the ability of the stomach to accommodate food
What is the antrum?
Narrowing of stomach proximal to the pyloris
What helps break down the chyme in the stomach?
Contractions of the stomach push the chyme against the antrum, so the chyme will retropulse and break down
What is the rate of gastric emptying dependent on? Describe this.
Depends on the types of nutrients in the stomach:
- Saline meal fastest: carbohydrates
- Acid meal: proteins need to be broken down by gastric proteases
- Oleate meal slowest: lipids because small intestine needs more time to get ready to emulsify these
How are contractions generated in the GIT? Is this similar to how contractions are generated in other areas of the body?
Different way than from other areas of the body:
- RMP is in the form of slow waves = basic electrical rhythm
- Various factors cause depolarization of smooth muscle cells
- At threshold (-40 mV) spike potentials are generated on top of the slow waves
- Ca++ influx in smooth muscle cells through VG channels to bind to calmodulin
- Contraction of smooth muscle cells
- Plateau due to slow movement of Ca++ and Na+
- Repolarization due to delayed increase in K+ conductance
What does the strength of GIT contractions depend on?
Depends on the max rate of contractions => depends on max number of spike potentials generated => depends on the basic electrical rhythm of that portion of the GIT
Are spike potentials action potentials?
YUP
Is the rate of slow waves aka the basic electrical rhythm the same throughout the GIT?
NOPE
Stomach: 3/min
Small intestine: 10-12/min
What causes depolarization of the smooth muscle cells of the GIT?
- Stretch
- ACh from parasympathetic NS
- Gastrin from duodenum and antrum
- Serotonin
- Substance P
- Motilin
Other name for substance P?
Tachykinin
What causes hyperpolarization of the smooth muscle cells of the GIT? Are these secreted locally or from extrinsic factors?
- NE
- Sympathetics
- VIP
- NO
Secreted LOCALLY by interneurons
What does VIP stand for?
Vasoactive intestinal peptide
2 types of motility in the small intestine? Can both be seen at different areas of the GIT? Which one is more prominent?
- Peristalsis
- Segmentation***
YUP
Describe peristalsis.
Circular muscle of the GIT will relax ahead of the bolus and contract behind it due to signals from cholinergic motor interneurons (contraction) and VIP motor interneurons (relaxation)
What happens during vomiting?
Reverse peristalsis
Is segmentation or peristalsis more under intrinsic control? What about extrinsic?
Segmentation: intrinsic
Peristalsis: extrinsic
Describe segmentation.
Contractions of CIRCULAR muscle are generated on either side of the bolus causing both mixing and propulsion and move down the GIT forming different pockets of bolus