Altered motility and duration of bacterial overgrowth in experimental blind loop syndrome.

To better understand the pathogenesis of the increased motility previously described in the blind loop rat, we studied the relationship between duration of bacterial overgrowth and both myoelectric activity and bacterial flora in this model. Myoelectric studies and quantitative bacterial cultures were performed on self-filling and self-emptying (control) blind loop rats one, two, and three weeks postoperatively. All self-filling blind loop rats had greater random action potential activity and higher frequencies of migrating action potential complexes than controls (P less than 0.05). One-week self-filling blind loop rats had a higher frequency of migrating action potential complexes (P less than 0.05) and a higher ratio of counts of Escherichia coli to Bacteroides species (P less than 0.05) than the two- or three-week self-filling blind loop groups. Thus, qualitative changes in myoelectric activity occur during the development of bacterial overgrowth in the blind loop rat which may reflect evolving alterations in the bacterial flora.