Impact of exogenous oxytocin on the motor function of the mammalian small intestine in the lactotrophic period

The establishment of the motor function of the small intestine during postnatal ontogeny and the impact of exogenous oxytocin on this function in the lactotrophic period were examined in rats. In the first week of life, only peristaltic movements of the small intestine were detectable, possibly due to the weak development of the longitudinal and circular muscle layers in the small intestine wall. Oxytocin was found to have an inhibitory effect on small intestine motor activity in rat pups. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 9, pp. 230–233, September, 1994 Presented by I. P. Ashmarin, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences