Functional magnetic stimulation facilitates colonic transit in rats

Objective: To investigate the effect of functional magnetic stimulation (FM S) on colonic transit in rats. Design: Experimental. Setting: Functional magnetic stimulation laboratory in a Veterans Administr ation health care system. Animals: Twenty-four female Wistar rats, divided into an experimental group and a control group. Interventions: All rats had technetium 99m (Tc 99m) infused through a cecal catheter to assess colonic transit times. FMS was performed over the cervi cal region; a figure of 8 magnetic coil was used in the experimental group. The colon was removed and sectioned into 10 segments, and a stool sample w as taken in both groups. Main Outcome Measures: Distribution of radioactivity within the large intes tine and stool were measured. Results: Geometric center calculations showed significant differences (p <. 001) between the control group and the experimental group when the distribu tion of radioactivity along the colon was measured. The percentage of Tc 99 m recovered from the stool in the experimental group was significantly high er than the percentage recovered from the control group. Conclusion: FMS facilitates colonic transit in a rat model.