RADIONUCLIDE IMAGING OF ABOMASAL EMPTYING IN SHEEP

A liquid radionuclide tracer was administered to nine sheep in order t o visualise the abomasum with a gamma camera computer system. The aim was to develop a method of studying gastric emptying. with minimal sur gical intervention. Oral administration of the tracer gave good images of the whole complex stomach, but quantifying abomasal emptying was n ot possible because of the superimposition of the stomach compartments . When the reticular groove reflex was stimulated with oral copper sul phate the radionuclide bypassed the reticulorumen, allowing quantitati ve analysis of abomasal activity. However, the repeatability of the re flex activation was low. Radionuclide administered directly into the a bomasum produced good images of abomasal outflow and provided digital data which were analysed quantitatively. A wide range of emptying rate s was observed, generally with a stepped pattern.