Myoelectrical activity of gastric antrum in conscious piglets around weaning

Abstract

We investigated gastric myoelectrical activity in piglets around weaning. The study was carried out on the same piglets before and after weaning. Before weaning, the piglets were kept with their littermates and nursed by the sow, then they were weaned on solid dry food (standard concentrate for weaning pigs) and fed three times a day. Gastric myoelectrical activity was recorded in conscious animals using bipolar electrodes implanted on the wall of the terminal antrum. A cyclic activity pattern of the antral region in the stomach was present in both suckling and weaned piglets and consisted of quiescence and an activity phase. Sow's milk under nursing conditions significantly decreased the frequency of response potentials in ERA (electrical response activity). However, milk did not influence the basic electrical rhythm (BER) i.e., frequency of ECA (electrical control activity) and did not affect the periodicity of the cyclical activity. After weaning, ingestion of solid feed increased the BER, the frequency of ERA and the frequency of response potentials of ERA and slightly affected the periodicity of the cyclical activity. Key words: Gastric terminal antrum, piglet, weaning, electromyography