This paper presents a removal method of electrogastrogram (EGG) baseline wander based on wavelet transformation. The basic idea of this method is using the low-frequency signal which is obtained through multi-scale decomposition of EGG signals to approximate the baseline wander of EGG, so the component of baseline wander is filtered out from the sampling EGG signals. The method was applied successfully to process the experimental data of dog EGG in our laboratory. The experimental data and analysis of results showed that this method could filter out the baseline wander of EGG, and this method would not affect the gastric spike and slow wave bandwidth signals, which could be shown from the characteristics of bandwidth filter of wavelet transformation.
Algorithms ; Animals ; Artifacts ; Dogs ; Electrodiagnosis ; Electrophysiological Phenomena ; Gastric Emptying ; physiology ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; physiology ; Myoelectric Complex, Migrating ; physiology ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Wavelet Analysis

Adult ; Aged ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Dyspepsia ; drug therapy ; Female ; Gastric Emptying ; drug effects ; Gastrointestinal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myoelectric Complex, Migrating ; drug effects ; physiology ; Phytotherapy

Current scintigraphic tests of gastrointestinal motor function provides relevant pathophysiologic information, but their clinical utility is controversial. Many scintigraphic methods are developed to investigate gastrointestinal motility from oral cavity to colon. These are esophageal transit scintigraphy, oropharyngeal transit study, gastric emptying test, small bowel transit time measurement, colon transit study and gastroesopahgeal reflux scintigraphy. Scintigraphy of gastrointestinal tract is the most physiologic and noninvasive method to evaluate gastrointestinal motility disorders. Stomach emptying test is regarded as a gold standard in motility study. Gastrointestinal transit scintigraphy also has a certain role in assessment of drug effect to GI motility and changes after therapy of motility disorders. Scintigraphy provides noninvasive and quantitative assessment of physiological transit throughout the gastrointestinal tract, and it is extremely useful for diagnosing gastrointestinal motor dysfunction. This article reviews the current procedures, indications, significance and guidelines for gastrointestinal motility measurements by scintigraphy.
Colon ; Gastric Emptying ; Gastrointestinal Motility* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Gastrointestinal Transit ; Mouth ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Stomach

Irritable bowel sydrome (IBS) is one of the most common disorders and a heterogeneous condition in view of symptoms and underlying mechanisms. Though underlying causes of pathophysiologic changes remain unclear, low grade mucosal inflammation and abnormal intestinal motility are accepted mechanisms which alter gut function and generate symptoms of IBS. First, before 1980s, abnormal colonic and rectal motor functions were regarded as the main pathophysiology of IBS, but only 25-75% of IBS patients have apparent motor abnormalities which differ from the motor functions in normal controls. So, various gastrointestinal motility tests were not indicated for the diagnosis of IBS. The high-amplitude propagating contractions of colon in IBS patients may be related to the visceral pain perception. Second, the low grade mucosal inflammation may be involved in the pathophysiology of visceral hypersensitivity. Post infectious IBS (PI-IBS) occupied 6-17% of the total IBS and some previous prospective studies reported that 7-33% of acute bacterial enteritis patients developed IBS after 6-12 months of infection. The relative risk of IBS in the gastroenteritis cohort was 11.9 and the strongest risk factor is the duration of diarrhea. After enteritis event, the increased number of immunocytes, mast cells and large amount of lymphocytes infiltration were revealed in mucosa and enteric nervous system of the gut. Beside the inflammatory cells, enterochromaffin cells, cytokines and inducible nitric oxide may be related to the pathophysiologic mechanism of PI-IBS. Lastly, the abnormalities in the gastrointestinal autonomic nervous system can induce constipation or motor disorders, but further research should elucidate it.
Gastrointestinal Motility ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intestinal Mucosa/pathology ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome/pathology/*physiopathology ; Myoelectric Complex, Migrating

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The paucity of knowledge regarding gastrointestinal motility in patients with neuroendocrine tumors and carcinoid diarrhea restricts targeted treatment. 3D-Transit is a novel, minimally invasive, ambulatory method for description of gastrointestinal motility. The system has not yet been evaluated in any group of patients. We aimed to test the performance of 3D-Transit in patients with carcinoid diarrhea and to compare the patients' regional gastrointestinal transit times (GITT) and colonic motility patterns with those of healthy subjects. METHODS: Fifteen healthy volunteers and seven patients with neuroendocrine tumor and at least 3 bowel movements per day were investigated with 3D-Transit and standard radiopaque markers. RESULTS: Total GITT assessed with 3D-Transit and radiopaque markers were well correlated (Spearman's rho = 0.64, P = 0.002). Median total GITT was 12.5 (range: 8.5-47.2) hours in patients versus 25.1 (range: 13.1-142.3) hours in healthy (P = 0.007). There was no difference in gastric emptying (P = 0.778). Median small intestinal transit time was 3.8 (range: 1.4-5.5) hours in patients versus 4.4 (range: 1.8-7.2) hours in healthy subjects (P = 0.044). Median colorectal transit time was 5.2 (range: 2.9-40.1) hours in patients versus 18.1 (range: 5.0-134.0) hours in healthy subjects (P = 0.012). Median frequency of pansegmental colonic movements was 0.45 (range: 0.03-1.02) per hour in patients and 0.07 (range: 0-0.61) per hour in healthy subjects (P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional Transit allows assessment of regional GITT in patients with diarrhea. Patients with carcinoid diarrhea have faster than normal gastrointestinal transit due to faster small intestinal and colorectal transit times. The latter is caused by an increased frequency of pansegmental colonic movements.
Capsules ; Carcinoid Tumor* ; Colon ; Diarrhea* ; Gastric Emptying ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Gastrointestinal Transit* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Neuroendocrine Tumors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of ghrelin on small intestinal transit and intergigestive gastrointestinal migrating myoelectric complex (MMC) in rats.

METHODSAfter a 24-hour fasting, the rats with or without pretreatment with receptor antagonist (D-Lys3)GHRP-6 were given intravenous injections of ghrelin at different doses to observe the changes in small intestinal transit. The MMCs of the fasting rats were recorded using a multilead physiological recording system, and their changes observed in response to intravenous ghrelin injections, or to ghrelin injection following pretreatment with atropine, phentolamine, propranolol, L-arginine or (D-Lys3)GHRP-6, respectively.

RESULTSGhrelin enhanced the small intestinal transit dose-dependently, and this effect was inhibited by application of ghrelin receptor antagonist. Ghrelin also showed excitatory effect on the MMCs, which was inhibited by atropine, L-arginine or (D-Lys3)GHRP-6, but not by propranolol and phentolamine.

CONCLUSIONGhrelin can promote gastrointestinal motilities, and its excitatory effects rely on the cholinergic pathway in close relation to nitric oxide pathway. Ghrelin receptor is involved in its action in promoting the gastrointestinal motilities.

Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; drug effects ; physiology ; Gastrointestinal Transit ; drug effects ; physiology ; Ghrelin ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Injections, Intravenous ; Intestine, Small ; drug effects ; physiology ; Male ; Myoelectric Complex, Migrating ; drug effects ; physiology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Gastrointestinal motility consists of phasic slow-wave contractions and the migrating motor complex (MMC). Eupatilin (Stillen(R)) has been widely used to treat gastritis and peptic ulcers, and various cytokines and neuropeptides are thought to be involved, which can affect gastrointestinal motility. We performed a study to identify the effects of eupatilin on lower gastrointestinal motility with electromechanical recordings of smooth muscles in the human ileum and colon. Ileum and colon samples were obtained from patients undergoing bowel resection. The tissues were immediately stored in oxygenated Krebs-Ringer's bicarbonate solution, and conventional microelectrode recordings from muscle cells and tension recordings from muscle strips and ileal or colonic segments were performed. Eupatilin was perfused into the tissue chamber, and changes in membrane potentials and contractions were measured. Hyperpolarization of resting membrane potential (RMP) was observed after administration of eupatilin. The amplitude, AUC, and frequency of tension recordings from circular and longitudinal smooth muscle strips and bowel segments of the ileum and colon were significantly decreased after admission of eupatilin. Eupatilin elicited dose-dependent decreases during segmental tension recordings. In conclusion, eupatilin (Stillen(R)) showed inhibitory effects on the human ileum and colon. We propose that this drug may be useful for treating diseases that increase bowel motility, but further studies are necessary.
Area Under Curve ; Colon ; Cytokines ; Gastritis ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Humans ; Ileum ; Lower Gastrointestinal Tract* ; Membrane Potentials ; Microelectrodes ; Muscle Cells ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myoelectric Complex, Migrating ; Neuropeptides ; Oxygen ; Peptic Ulcer

Assessment of transit through the gastrointestinal tract provides useful information regarding gut physiology and pathophysiology. Although several methods are available, each has distinct advantages and limitations. Recently, an ingestible wireless motility capsule (WMC), similar to capsule video endoscopy, has become available that offers a less-invasive, standardized, radiation-free and office-based test. The capsule has 3 sensors for measurement of pH, pressure and temperature, and collectively the information provided by these sensors is used to measure gastric emptying time, small bowel transit time, colonic transit time and whole gut transit time. Current approved indications for the test include the evaluation of gastric emptying in gastroparesis, colonic transit in constipation and evaluation of generalised dysmotility. Rare capsule retention and malfunction are known limitations and some patients may experience difficulty with swallowing the capsule. The use of WMC has been validated for the assessment of gastrointestinal transit. The normal range for transit time includes the following: gastric emptying (2-5 hours), small bowel transit (2-6 hours), colonic transit (10-59 hours) and whole gut transit (10-73 hours). Besides avoiding the use of multiple endoscopic, radiologic and functional gastrointestinal tests, WMC can provide new diagnoses, leads to a change in management decision and help to direct further focused work-ups in patients with suspected disordered motility. In conclusion, WMC represents a significant advance in the assessment of segmental and whole gut transit and motility, and could prove to be an indispensable diagnostic tool for gastrointestinal physicians worldwide.
Colon ; Constipation ; Deglutition ; Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Gastric Emptying ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Gastrointestinal Transit ; Gastroparesis ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Physiology ; Reference Values

OBJECTIVETo study the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Dachengqi granule (DCQG) on some digestive motility disturbed diseases.

METHODSGastroduodenojejunal manometry, electrogastrography (EGG), RIA of motilin and orocecal transit time test were applied to directly observe the effect of DCQG on human gastrointestinal motility.

RESULTSDCQG could significantly improve the postoperational EGG disorder, elevate the amplitude and time of migrating motor complex (MMC) phase III, prevent gastrointestinal reversed peristalsis, increase the blood level of motilin, decrease the orocecal transit time, and promote the recovery of gastrointestinal motility.

CONCLUSIONDCQG is an effective digestive kinetic agent, which could be medicated conveniently in treating digestive motility disturbed diseases.

Adult ; Cholecystectomy ; Colonic Neoplasms ; surgery ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; drug effects ; Gastrointestinal Transit ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Manometry ; Middle Aged ; Motilin ; blood ; Myoelectric Complex, Migrating ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; therapeutic use ; Postoperative Complications ; prevention & control ; Postoperative Period

Perendoscopic biliary manometry may not represent the overall sphincter of Oddi (SO) motility, as the recording time is relatively short and it is possibly influenced by the presence of an endoscope in duodenum and air inflation. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary manometry of SO permits long-term recordings without patient discomfort and risk of complications. We investigated the change of human SO motility and the correlation between SO motility and migrating motor complex (MMC) of the small bowel in a fasting state by long-term simultaneous manometric examination of SO and small bowel. During long-term manometry, MMC-like cyclic activities of SO were observed, which consiered to be MMC of SO. It coordinated well with MMC of the small bowel, except that SO was not quiescent during phase I MMC of the small bowel. In addition, the basal pressure of SO changed in accordance with the phases of SO motility. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary manometry also permits prolonged manometric studies to investigate normal physiologic reflexes such as gastroduodeno-sphincteric, cholecysto-sphincteric and choledocho-sphincteric reflexes, and the influence of cholecystectomy on SO motility in humans.
Biliary Dyskinesia/*diagnosis/physiopathology ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Humans ; Male ; Manometry/*methods ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Contraction ; Myoelectric Complex, Migrating ; Pressure ; Sphincter of Oddi/*physiopathology ; Time Factors