Relation of metabolic events to gastric contractions in the rat

¹ Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts

A water-filled balloon system was used to study gastric hunger contractions in normal rats. Fasted rats have active hunger contractions alternating with periods of quiescence. The contractions occur at a rate of one or two per minute for 10–15 minutes followed by a quiescent period of 5–10 minutes. Exposure to cold (5°C) and heat (32° and 40°C) inhibited gastric hunger contractions in fasted rats. Intravenous administration of 75 µg glucagon or i.v. injection of 50 µg epinephrine and norepinephrine also inhibited gastric hunger contractions. Cessation of the gastric motility also occurred when 100 µg glucagon or 50 µg epinephrine were given to fed animals pretreated with 2 u insulin. It was found that changes in carbohydrate utilization induced by glucagon preceded the gastric phenomena.