Diffused and Sustained Inhibitory Effects of Intestinal Electrical Stimulation on Intestinal Motility Mediated via Sympathetic Pathway

ObjectiveThe aims were to investigate the energy-dose response effect of intestinal electrical stimulation (IES) on small bowel motility, to compare the effect of forward and backward IES, and to explore the possibility of using intermittent IES and mechanism of IES on intestinal motility. Materials and MethodsFive dogs implanted with a duodenal cannula and one pair of intestinal serosal electrodes were studied in five sessions: 1) energy-dose response study; 2) forward IES; 3) backward IES; 4) intermittent IES vs. continuous IES; 5) administration of guanethidine. The contractile activity and tonic pressure of the small intestine were recorded. The duration of sustained effect after turning off IES was manually calculated. Results1) IES with long pulse energy dose dependently inhibited contractile activity and tonic pressure of the small intestine (p<0.001). 2) The duration of sustained inhibitory effect of IES on the small intestine depended on the energy of IES delivered (p<0.001). 3) The potency of the inhibitory effect was the same between forward and backward IES. 4) The efficacy of intermittent IES was the same as continuous IES in inhibiting motility of the small intestine. 5) Guanethidine blocked the inhibitory effect of IES on intestinal motility. ConclusionsIES with long pulses inhibits small intestinal motility; the effect is energy-dose dependent, diffused, and sustained. Intermittent IES has the same efficacy as the continuous IES in inhibiting small intestinal motility. Forward and backward IES have similar inhibitory effects on small bowel motility. This IES-induced inhibitory effect is mediated via the sympathetic pathway.