American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology
-
Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. · Mar 2020
Sacral nerve stimulation increases gastric accommodation in rats: a spinal afferent and vagal efferent pathway.
Impaired gastric accommodation (GA) has been frequently reported in various gastrointestinal diseases. No standard treatment strategy is available for treating impaired GA. We explored the possible effect of sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) on GA and discovered a spinal afferent and vagal efferent mechanism in rats. ⋯ In conclusion, SNS with certain parameters relaxes gastric fundus and improves gastric accommodation mediated via a spinal afferent and vagal efferent pathway. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Currently, there is no adequate medical therapy for impaired gastric accommodation, since medications that relax the fundus often impair antral peristalsis and thus further delay gastric emptying that is commonly seen in patients with functional dyspepsia or gastroparesis. The advantage of the potential sacral nerve stimulation therapy is that it improves gastric accommodation by enhancing vagal activity, and the enhanced vagal activity would lead to enhanced antral peristalsis rather than inhibiting it.