Stomach churning
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Understanding Stomach Churning: Insights from Animal Studies
Gastric Motility in Penguins: Digestive Regulation
Research on penguins has provided valuable insights into the mechanisms of stomach churning and digestive regulation. A study developed a stomach motility probe using piezoelectric PVDF film to measure the intensity of contraction waves in penguins' stomachs. This probe, encapsulated in a titanium tube, was ingested by the penguins, allowing for long-term data collection in natural conditions. The data revealed phases of high and low stomach churning, which are crucial for understanding digestive processes in free-living animals1.
Stomach Temperature and Feeding Activity in Seabirds
Stomach temperature archival units (STAUs) have been used to study feeding behaviors in seabirds. These units help determine the timing of prey ingestion, the number of prey items, and their masses. However, the accuracy of these measurements can be affected by factors such as body temperature variability, stomach blood perfusion, and stomach churning. Errors can also arise from the physical characteristics of the STAUs, such as their size and buoyancy, which influence their position within the stomach. Despite these challenges, STAUs provide valuable data on feeding activity when critically assessed2.
Anatomical and Functional Regions of the Stomach
The stomach can be divided into different anatomical and functional regions, each playing a distinct role in digestion. The proximal stomach, which includes the fundus and part of the corpus, adjusts gastric volume, while the distal stomach, comprising the rest of the corpus and the antrum, is involved in churning and propelling contents. The pyloric sphincter regulates the passage of chyme into the duodenum. Understanding these regions is essential for studying gastric motility and its control4.
Vagal Pathways and Gastric Motility
The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in controlling gut activity, including stomach churning. In rats, motor nerve activity in response to the gut hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) differs between the proximal and distal stomach. CCK released in the intestines after a meal influences the churning and propulsion of food in the hindstomach through reflexes initiated by intestinal sensory nerve terminals. This highlights the complex neural pathways involved in regulating gastric motility6.
Evolutionary Adaptations in Fish Gastrointestinal Tract
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract of the Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, exhibits distinct motility patterns that reflect evolutionary adaptations to different environments. Cave-adapted fish show bi-directional churning motility in the stomach, which is largely absent in river-adapted fish. This churning motility affects the transit of food through the GI tract, with cavefish showing faster emptying of powdered food but slower transit of live prey. These adaptations likely enhance nutrient absorption and energy assimilation in response to unique food sources in their respective habitats7.
Conclusion
Stomach churning is a complex process influenced by various factors, including anatomical regions, neural pathways, and evolutionary adaptations. Studies on penguins, seabirds, rats, and fish provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of gastric motility and its regulation. Understanding these processes is crucial for advancing our knowledge of digestive physiology and developing better models for studying gastric function.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Measurement of digestive variables in free-living animals: gastric motility in penguins during foraging
The stomach motility probe allows for long-term, free-living measurements of penguin digestive regulation and feeding behavior.
Reliability of stomach temperature changes in determining feeding characteristics of seabirds
Stomach temperature archival units (STAUs) can accurately determine the timing of prey ingestion in seabirds, but mass estimates can be significantly inaccurate if not critically assessed.
Non-RCT
Animal Study
Highly CitedWhat happens when school reform and accountability testing meet
School reform and accountability testing can lead to mixed results, with students engaged, discipline problems reduced, attendance rising, but test scores going down.
Functional and anatomical gastric regions and their relations to motility control
This review clarifies the nomenclature of gastric regions, aiming to improve understanding of stomach function and motility control.
Hover flies lack gravity sensors
![Figure][1] A hover fly prior to release. Photo credit: R. Goulard and S. Viollet. The screaming on most rollercoasters begins almost as soon as anticipation of the stomach-churning descent begins. Even in the dark we know that we are plummeting from the instant we tip over the summit,
Rigorous JournalElectrophysiological evidence for distinct vagal pathways mediating CCK‐evoked motor effects in the proximal versus distal stomach
Cholecystokinin influences food churning and propulsion in the hindstomach through sensory nerve reflexes, but may influence gastric capacity later, when circulating levels rise to activate sensors in the hindstomach.
Non-RCTAnimal StudyRigorous Journal