Colonic motor activity and bowel function. II. Distribution and incidence of motor activity at rest and after food and carbachol.

Effect of eating on motility of the pelvic colon in constipation or diarrhoea

“…The rapidity with which the response occurred suggests a nervous rather than a humoral pathway. Exactly how this is brought about is not clear although Ritchie (1968) has suggested that ileal emptying in diarrhoeal patients is more rapid than in normals. Variations in the rate of gastric emptying may also be a factor.…”

The Motility of the Gastro-intestinal Tract

“…Then faeces can be forced into the rectal ampulla. The mean speed of passage in the colon is normally 5.8 cm h, in the constipated subject 0.9 cm [24]. Gastro intestinal movements may be classified into 4 main categories.…”

Colon: Relationship between Epithelial Transport and Motility

“…Mass movements are often preceded by a narrowing and shortening of gut on radio graphs [15,16]. Prolonged studies carried out in normal human subjects showed that such vigorously peristaltic contractions usually only occur once or twice a day [18].…”

“…Shortly preceding defecation, contrac tions of particularly long duration develop in the distal colon and propagate towards the anus propelling colonic contents into the rec tum [14][15][16], Such contractions have been termed giant migrating contractions [17], and their effects are called mass movements. Mass movements are often preceded by a narrowing and shortening of gut on radio graphs [15,16].…”