Abstract
In addition to severe damage to the intestinal mucosa, there is evidence based on altered transit that irradiation affects intestinal motor function. A single dose of 938 cGy to the intestine of dogs consistently produced an acute intestinal radiation syndrome consisting of vomiting and diarrhea but was not lethal. In the fasting state, the migrating myoelectric complex was uniformly interrupted. After a meal, jejunal myoelectric activity analyzed by a computer program showed a progressive decline in the number, duration, and length of migration of spike bursts. There were occasionally bizarre motility patterns consisting of clusters of migrating spike bursts. Slow waves demonstrated irregular rhythm and nonuniform morphology. They occasionally migrated in an orad direction and at times were totally uncoupled. At 24 hr and four days after irradiation, the muscle and the neural plexus were nearly normal by light microscopy, but the mucosa exhibited severe necrosis. Therefore, irradiation produces profound functional abnormalities in intestinal muscle even though the morphology is minimally altered.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Trier JS, Browning TH: Morphologic response of the mucosa of the human small intestine to x-ray exposure. J Clin Invest 45:194–205, 1966
Wiernick G: Changes in the villous pattern of the human jejunum associated with heavy irradiation damage. Gut 7:149–153, 1966
Tarpila SL: Morphological and functional response of the human small intestine to ionizing radiation. Scand J Gastroenterol 6(Suppl 12):1–52, 1971
Goodman RD, Lewis AE, Shuck EA: Effects of x-irradiation on gastrointestinal transit and absorption availability. Am J Physiol 169:242–247, 1952
Jones DC, Kimeldorf DJ: Gastrointestinal function during exposure to x-rays. Radiat Res 11:832–843, 1959
Chmelar V, Grossman V, Hais IM, Deml F: Gastric retention and its changes in mice and rats during the first six days following x-irradiation. Radiat Res 37:627–635, 1969
Summers RW, Kent TH, Osborne JW: Effect of drugs, ileal obstruction and irradiation on rat gastrointestinal propulsion. Gastroenterology 59:731–739, 1970
Frankendal B: Gastric emptying and small intestinal propulsion in mice following irradiation of the abdomen. Acta Radiol Ther Physiol Biol 12:529–540, 1973
Frankendal B, Junghagen D: Gastrointestinal transit time in ovarian carcinoma irradiated with60Co. Acta Radiol Ther Phys Biol 13:129–140, 1974
Scott LD, Summers RW: Correlation of contractions and transit in rat small intestine. Am J Physiol 230:132–137, 1976
Akwari OE, Kelly KA, Steinbac JH, Code CF: Electrical pacing of intact and transected canine small intestine and its computer model. Am J Physiol 229:1188–1197, 1975
Lebedev BI: Condition of the myenteric plexus of gastrointestinal tract in dogs exposed to radioactive strontium.In Transactions of the Scientific Conference on Problems in the Physiology and Pathology of Digestion. Tartu, 1957, pp 434–440
Summers RW, Anuras S, Green J: Jejunal manometry patterns in health partial intestinal obstruction and pseudoobstruction. Gastroenterology 85:1290–1300, 1983
Conard RA: Effect of x-irradiation on intestinal motility in the rat. Am J Physiol 165:375–385, 1951
Swann MBR: A study of the immediate effects of x-rays on the functions of certain tissues and organs. Br J Radiol 29:195–220, 1924
Kagnoff MF: Motor activityin vitro of rat small intestine following whole-body x-irradiation. Radiat Res 42:565–576, 1970
Sprügel W, Schubert E, Mitznegg P, Heim F, Hasl G, Panly H: Immediate x-irradiation induced contractions of the isolated guinea pig terminal ileum: The localization of the effect of drugs. Radiat Environ Biophys 14:31–37, 1977
Wachter F: Experimentelle Untersuchungen über die Motorik des rontgenbestrahlten. Dunndarms Strahlenther 87:415–429, 1952
Smirnov KV: Motility in an isolated segment of the small intestine in dogs during acute radiation sickness. Byull Eksp Biol Med 40:23–27, 1958
Seregin MS: Introceptive conditioned reflexes from the gastrointestinal tract and motility of the stomach and duodenum during radiation sickness.In Transactions of the Scientific Conference on Problems in the Physiology and Pathology of Digestion. Tartu, 1960, pp 388–398
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was supported by Veterans Administration Medical Research Funds and NIH Digestive Disease Core Center grant AM 34986-01.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Summers, R.W., Flatt, A.J., Prihoda, M.J. et al. Effect of irradiation on morphology and motility of canine small intestine. Digest Dis Sci 32, 1402–1410 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01296667
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01296667