Coordination between the longitudinal and circular layers of the stomach during the excitator-contractile process.

The coordination between the longitudinal and circular layers of the stomach muscle is studied using strips of cat stomach cut along the longitudinal and circular axis of the stomach, preserving the connection between them. The longitudinal muscle layer plays a leading role both with respect to the bioelectrical and to the contractile activity of the stomach. Under the effect of acetylcholine (10-7) the delay time of the circular muscle layer is shortened compared with the longitudinal layer (from 2.44+/-0.17 to 0.8+/-0.7 s). Under the effect of Ba ions not only shortening of this time is observed, but also inversion of the process-the circular layer becomes leading with respect to the contractile process in some moments.