Characterization of Slow Wave Activity in Ex-vivo Porcine Small Intestine Segments

The motility of the gut is central to digestion and is coordinated, in part, by bioelectrical events known as slow waves. While the nature of these events is well defined in-vivo, the temporal response of ex-vivo gastrointestinal myoelectrical activity without perfusion is poorly understood. To achieve a fundamental understanding of ex-vivo electrophysiology, slow wave activity was measured from excised porcine intestinal segments and characterized over time. In this study, slow wave frequencies and amplitudes, along with the duration of sustained activity were quantified. Slow wave amplitudes and frequencies decreased from initial values of 46 ± 34 µV and 9.6 ± 5.9 cpm to electrical quiescence over a period of 12.2 ± 2.3 minutes. Mean slow wave amplitude and frequency uniformly declined before electrical quiescence was reached. This study demonstrated the successful acquisition of gastrointestinal myoelectrical activity in excised tissue segments without perfusion. Key slow wave characteristics may contribute to future diagnostics, transplantations and treatments for motility disorders.Clinical Relevance— The ability to characterize excised slow wave activity in organs lacking perfusion will be a critical advancement in developing clinical solutions. Findings will assist in establishing the efficacy of bioelectrical activity in excised tissue samples for organ transplantation. In addition, the ex-vivo setting can be used to represent compromised electrophysiological states to evaluate novel therapies.