A MODEL TO INVESTIGATE POSTOPERATIVE ILEUS WITH STRAIN-GAUGE TRANSDUCERS IN AWAKE RATS

Background. Postoperative ileus influences patients well-being, hospit al stay, and health cost, and postoperative inhibition of colonic moti lity is a major contributor to postoperative ileus. Experimental model s for investigating postoperative ileus are needed. In particular, rec ording of postoperative colonic motility in awake rats has not been de scribed yet. Material and Methods. Gastric, small intestinal, and colo nic motility were recorded with strain gauge transducers in awake rats , and the effects of anesthesia and abdominal surgery on gastrointesti nal motility were investigated. Results. Ether anesthesia increased ga stric motility and inhibited small intestinal motility, while enfluran e anesthesia had only minor effects on gastrointestinal motility. Abdo minal surgery inhibited gastric, small intestinal, and colonic motilit y, and a detailed analysis of gastrointestinal motility in our postope rative ileus model is given. Conclusions. We established a model to re cord gastric, small intestinal, and colonic motility in awake rats pos toperatively. We could demonstrate that enflurane anesthesia had Littl e effect on gastrointestinal motility, while laparotomy and short mani pulation of the cecum produced a prolonged inhibition of gastrointesti nal motility. Our model could be used to investigate postoperative ile us, particularly of the colon, in awake rats. (C) 1998 Academic Press.