Summary. Diet type, grinding size and anatomo-functional characteristics of the proximal digestive tract in rabbits.Two diets containing either dehydrated lucerne (40 %) or dehydrated beet pulp (50 %) both being coarsely (4 mm) of finely (1 mm) ground before pelleting, were fed to 120 rabbits after weaning. Feed intake and weight gain were estimated.After 79 days, 11 rabbits in each group were slaughtered between 14.00 and 17.00 h. The parameters measured were stomach and ileal weights, dry matter, fibre and nitrogen contents, volatile fatty acid concentrations. Gastric emptying and intestinal transit time were estimated in each group.Rabbits fed the beet pulp diet had a better feed conversion ratio associated with a higher solid matter gastric retention and also a longer jejuno-ileal transit time.Finely ground diet further increased the transit time, particularly in the ileon, which was also associated with a higher concentration of fermentation by-products.Introduction.
Summary. Physical-chemical stimulation by the diet and gastrointestinal motility in the rabbit.The effects on gastrointestinal motility of two different diets, one containing dehydrated lucerne and the other dehydrated beet pulp (both being either coarsely or finely ground before pelleting) were studied in 16 unanesthetized 50-60-day old rabbits fed ad libitum.The rabbits fed with lucerne had better antroduodenal and ileo-caecal coordination, a higher level of electrical activity on the duodenum, and more frequent migrating myoelectric complexes on the jejunum and ileum than those fed with beet pulp. Furthermore, the rabbits fed the finely ground pellets showed weak electrical activity on the ileum and poor ileo-caecal coordination irrespective of fiber source, suggesting a unique effect of size per se on these portions of the digestive tract.Introduction.
In the unanesthetized rabbit, intraluminal infusions of D- and L-methionine, L-tryptophan, D-glucose, D-xylose, and lactulose had a biphasic effect on small intestinal myoelectric activity. A phase of enhanced activity was followed by a phase of inhibition. The excitatory phase was mimicked by saline solutions equiosmolar to the test solutions. The subsequent inhibition was does dependent and significantly (P less than 0.01) longer for the passively absorbed D-methionine than for the L-stereoisomer. The inhibitory action of 10 mM D-glucose, 10 mM L-methionine, and 5 mM L-tryptophan was blocked by propranolol on the jejunum and by phenoxybenzamine on the ileum. We conclude that the initial excitatory phase induced by luminal amino acids and sugars may be dependent on an action on osmoreceptors, whereas the subsequent inhibitory phase may involve the sympathetic noradrenergic system.
A technique is described for the collection of digestive contents with a glass T-shaped ileal cannula, in rabbits fed ad libitum. Repeated samples of ileal contents were easily obtained by gravity from conscious animals lying in a hammock for 1 h, twice a week, over a period of 2 months. Analysis of the ileal contents showed no diurnal variations in concentrations of crude protein, neutral-detergent fibre, ammonia, and total short-chain volatile fatty acids. The fresh weight output was maximal at 09.00 h and minimal at 03.00 h. The transit time of phenol sulphone phthalein between mouth and ileum was 75 (s.d. 14) min and did not vary according to the time of day when measured (08.00 to 12.00 h, 14.00 to 18.00 h, 20.00 to 24.00 h).
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