Comparative Gastrointestinal Transit Rates in the Different Trimesters of Pregnancy in Wistar Rats
[1]
Otamere H. O., Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria.
[2]
Ojieh A. E., Department of physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria.
[3]
Onyesom I., Department of physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria.
[4]
Aloamaka C. P., Department of physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria.
Pregnancy hormones are implicated in gastrointestinal functions, however studies results varies and in some instances contradictory. This study investigates the influence of different trimester of pregnancy on the rate of gastric emptying and small intestinal motility. The study involved twenty-four (24) adult rats weighing between 180g and 200g assigned to four (4) groups. Group 1 served as non-pregnant control while groups II, III and IV were rats in their first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy respectively. At the end of each trimester, rats were scarified and the stomach and intestine obtained for studies on gastric emptying and small intestinal motility rates following standard laboratory procedures. The results showed a significantly increase (P<0.05) in quantity of food eaten in the first trimester (4.40±1.13) but a non significant differences in rate of gastric emptying between groups. On the other hand, percentage small intestinal transition and small intestinal transit rate were fastest in the first trimester compared to the second and third trimesters and control. This indicates therefore that pregnancy has effects on the rate of gastric emptying and intestinal motility.
Pregnancy Hormones, Gastric Emptying, Intestinal Transit
[1]
Mathias, J. R. and Clench, M. H. (1998). Relationship of reproductive hormones and neuromuscular disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Dig. Dis.; 16: 3-13.
[2]
Chiloiro, M., Darconza, G., Piccioli, E., De Carne, M., Clemente, C. and Riezzo, G. (2001). Gastric emptying and orocecal transit time in pregnancy. J. Gastroenterol.; 36:538–43.
[3]
Chang, F. Y., Lee, S. D., Yeh, G. H., Lu, C. C., Wang, P.S. and Wang, S.W. (1998). Disturbed small intestinal motility in the late rat pregnancy. Gynecol. Obstet. Invest.; 45:221-224.
[4]
Wald, A., Van Thiel, D. H., Hoechstetter, L., et al. (1981). Gastrointestinal transit: the effect of the menstrual cycle. Gastroenterolo1gy; 80:1497-1500.
[5]
Bruce, L. A. and Behsudi, F. M. (1979). Progesterone effects on three regional gastrointestinal tissues. Life Sci; 25:729-734.
[6]
Schulze, K. and Christensen, J. (1977). Lower sphincter of the opossum esophagus in pseudopregnancy. Gastroenterology; 73:1082-1085.
[7]
Everson GT, McKinley C, Lawson M, et al. Gallbladder function in the human female: effect of the ovulatory cycle, pregnancy, and contraceptive steroids. Gastroenterology 1982; 82:71 1- 179.
[8]
Braverman, D. Z., Johnson, M. L. and Kern, F. (1980). Effects of pregnancy and contraceptive steroids on gallbladder function. N. Engl. J. Med.; 302:362-364.
[9]
Chen, T. S., Doong, M. L., Chang, F. Y., Lee, S.D. and Wang, P.S. (1995) Effects of sex steroid hormones on gastric emptying and gastrointestinal transit in rats. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol; 268:G171–G176.
[10]
Scott, L. D. and DeFlora, E. (1983). Intestinal transit infemale rats: effect ofpregnancy, estrous cycle, and castration. Gastroenterolo; 84:130.
[11]
Wald, A., Van Thiel, D. H., Hoechstetter, L., Gavaler, J. S., Egler, K. M., Verm, R., Scott, L. and Lester, R. (1982). Effect of pregnancy on gastrointestinal transit. Dig Dis Sci.; 27:1015–1018.
[12]
Hutson, W. R., Roehrkasse, R. L. and Wald, A. (1989) Influence of gender and menopause on gastric emptying and motility. Gastroenterology; 96:11–17.
[13]
Davison, J. S., Davison, M. C. and Hay, D. M. (1970). Gastric emptying time in late pregnancy and labour. J. Obstet. Gynaecol. Br Commonw; 77:37–41.
[14]
Masson, G. M., Anthony, F. and Chau, E. (1985) Serum chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), schwangerschaftsprotein 1 (SP1), progesterone and oestradiol levels in patients with nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. Br. J. Obstet. Gynaecol.; 9:211–215.
[15]
Kauppila, A., Huhtaniemi, I. and Ylikorkala, O. (1979) Raised serum human chorionic gonadotrophin concentrations in hyperemesis gravidarum. Br. Med. J. 1:1670–1671.
[16]
Scott, L. D., DeFlora, E. and Lester, R. (1982) Pregnancy, sex steroids and contractility of rat colon (Abstract). Dig Dis Sci.; 27:660.
[17]
Ryan, J. P. and Bhojwani, A. (1986) Colonic transit in rats: effect of ovariectomy, sex steroid hormones, and pregnancy. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol; 251:G46–G50.
[18]
Gill, R. C., Bowes, K. L. and Kingma, Y. J. (1985) Effect of progesterone on canine colonic smooth muscle. Gastroenterology; 88:1941–1947.
[19]
Coeskun, T., Sevinec, A., Tevetoaglu, I., Alican, I., Kurtel, H. and Yeagen, B. C. (1995) Delayed gastric emptying in conscious male rats following chronic estrogen and progesterone treatment. Res Exp Med (Berl); 195:49–54.
[20]
Prieto, R., Ferrer. M., Fe, j., Rayo, J. and Tur, J. (1994): Morphological adaptive changes of small intestinal tract regions due to pregnancy and lactation in rats. Ann. Nutr, Metab.; 38(5): 295.
[21]
Chen, T., Doong, M., Wang, S., Tsai, S., Lu, C., Shih, H., Chen, Y., Chang,F., Lee, S. and Wang, P. (1997): Gastric emptying and gastro intestinal transit during lactation in rat. Am. J. Physiol.; 272:626.
[22]
Harmatz, P., Carrington, P., Barry, V., Hatz, R. and Bloch, K. (1993): Intestinal adaptation during lactation in the mouse. II. Altered intestinal processing of a dietary protein. Am. J. Physio.; 264: 1126.
[23]
Guyton, A. C. and Hall, J. E. (2006). Gastrointestinal Physiology. Textbook of Medical Physiology. 11 Edition. Elsevier. Saunders. Pp. 771–825.
[24]
Bradesi, S., Eutamene, H., Fioramonti, J. and Bueno, L. (2002). Acute restraint stress activates functional NK1 receptor in the colon of female rats: involvement of steroids. Gut; 50:349-35.
[25]
Sheen-Chen, S. M., Ho, H. T., Chen, W. J., Sheen, C. W., Eng, H.L. and Chou, F.F. (2001). Progesterone receptor in patients with hepatolithiasis. Dig. Dis. Sci.; 46:2374-2377.
[26]
Tierney, S., Nakeeb, A., Wong, O., Lipsett, PA., Sostre, S., Pitt, HA. and Lillemoe, KD. (1999). Progesterone alters biliary flow dynamics. Ann. Surg.; 229:205-209.
[27]
Mizutani, S., Hayakawa, H., Akiyama, H., Sakura, H., Yoshino, M., Oya, M. and Kawashima, Y. (1982). Simultaneous determinations of plasma oxytocin and serum placental leucine aminopeptidase (P-LAP) during late pregnancy. Clin. Biochem.; 15:141-145.
[28]
Kumaresan, P., Subramanian, M., Anandarangam, PB and Kumaresan, M. (1979). Radioimmunoassay of plasma and pituitary oxytocin in pregnant rats during various stages of pregnancy and parturition. J. Endocrinol. Invest.; 2:65-70.
[29]
Wang, F., Luo, JQ., Zheng, TZ., Qu, SY., Li, W. and He, DY (1999). Effect of oxytocin on the contractile activity of isolated gastric strips in rats. Zhongguo Yaolixue Yu Dulixue Zazhi; 13: 285-287.
[30]
Duridanova, D. B., Nedelcheva, D. M. and Gagov, H.S. (1997). Oxytocin induced changes in single cell K+ currents and smooth muscle contraction of guinea-pig gastric antrum. Eur J Endocrinol.; 136: 531-538.
[31]
Asad, M., Shewade, DG., Koumaravelou, K., Abraham, BK., Vasu, S. and Ramaswamy, S. (2001). Gastric antisecretory and antiulcer activity of oxytocin in rats and guinea pigs. Life Sci.; 70:17-24.
[32]
Kong, F. and Singh, R. P. (2008). Disintegration of solid foods in human stomach. J. Food Sci.; 73(5):R67-80.
[33]
Datz, F. L., Christian, P. E. and Moore, J. (1987). Gender-related difference in gastric emptying. J. Nuclear Med.; 28:7204-7207.
[34]
Powley, T. L. and Phillips, R.J. (2002). Musings on the wanderer: what’s new in our understanding of vago-vagal reflexes? I. Morphology and topography of vagal afferents innervating the GI tract. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol.; 283: G1217–1225.
