[Changes in the properties of smooth muscle cells of the fundus portion of the stomach after removal of the body and antral portion].

Sucrose-gap and microelectrode techniques revealed that the spatial constant (value of electrotonic spread of the slow potential) was greater in fundal portion of stomach with removed body and antral portion than in intact stomach. This finding suggests an increased conductivity of the fundal portion muscle tissue after removal of evacuatory and hormone--producing portions of the stomach. The sodium--calcium nature of the slow potential was revealed in the membrane of fundal smooth muscle cells. After removal of the stomach body and antral portion the permeability of smooth muscle cells is altered in the stomach fundus and the slow potential becomes the same as in the stomach wall of intact dogs. This mechanism of electrophysiological alteration maintains the evacuatory function after removal of the stomach body and antral portion.