The effects of vagotomy on the abomasum in calves: Radiography and proteingene product 9.5 immunohistochemistry

Abomasal disorders of calves with total vagotomy, operated on at 1 week old , were investigated with radiography and protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 imm unohistochemistry. Radiographic findings indicated abomasal atony with dila tation in all calves 2 weeks after vagotomy, while 4 weeks after vagotomy a bomasal dilatation was detected in 2 calves and another 2 calves showed dil atation and impaction. The densities of PGP 9.5-immunoreactive nerves in th e tunica muscularis decreased significantly in the corpus region of the gre ater curvature 2 weeks after vagotomy and in the pyloric region of the less er curvature 4 weeks after vagotomy, and it was at its lowest 4 weeks after vagotomy in all regions examined. In conclusion, abomasal dilatation and/o r impaction in vagotomized calves confirmed by radiography were related wit h a decreased frequency of nerves in the tunica muscularis of the abomasum.