Propulsion and mixing of small bowel contents in rat during varied levels of endogenous gastrin.

The propulsion and mixing of small bowel contents were studied in conscious rats 14 days after antral resection, antral exclusion and gastroentero-anastomosis in order to evaluate the influence of hypo-, hyper- and normogastrinemia, respectively, on the net result of small bowel muscular activities. The quantitative measures of propulsion and mixing did not differ significantly between the groups. There was, however, a significant correlation between high serum gastrin and increased intestinal mixing after antral exclusion and gastroentero-anastomosis. This finding supports earlier studies on gastrin effects on the small bowel obtained by exogenous gastrin infusion.