Fig. 5

Colokinetic effect of somatostatin after surgical nerve severing. Representative recording traces of intraluminal pressure change (upper) and expelled liquid volume (lower) in response to intrathecal injection of somatostatin (6 nmol) after bilaterally severing a the lumbar colonic and hypogastric nerves or b the pelvic nerves are shown. Somatostatin-induced enhancement of colorectal motility was observed after severing sympathetic nerves but not after cutting the pelvic nerves. c Bar graphs summarize the expelled liquid volume (ml/20 min, left panel) and frequency of contractions (contractions/20 min, right panel) in control rats, in rats with sympathetic nerves cut (SN cutting) and in rats with pelvic nerves cut (PN cutting). Each value represents the mean ± SD (n = 5). *Significantly different between two groups (P < 0.05)