EVIDENCE THAT ENTERIC MOTILITY REFLEXES CAN BE INITIATED THROUGH ENTIRELY INTRINSIC MECHANISMS IN THE GUINEA-PIG SMALL-INTESTINE

Abstract

Although motility reflexes can be elicited in the intestine in vivo after all neural connections with the central nervous system are cut, or in vitro in isolated intestinal segments, it is not proven that the cell bodies of the primary sensory neurons for these reflexes are in the intestinal wall. It is feasible that the nerve cells are in dorsal root ganglia and that axon reflexes are involved in the initiation of the reflexes. We have examined reflexes in segments of guinea-pig intestine in which extrinsic denervation, 9-11 days before the intestine was removed, and isolation of the intestine in vitro were combined. The experimental segments were isolated from extrinsic inputs by severing ..