Retrograde electrical pacing of the small intestine--a new treatment for the short bowel syndrome?

Retrograde electrical pacing has been shown to increase absorption of sodium, glucose and water from a continuously perfused jejunal segment in dogs. Under similar circumstances, absorption of xylose, magnesium, calcium and chloride was also increased by pacing compared with before and after its use (P less than 0.005). Following massive distal small intestinal resection, dogs undergoing post-cibal retrograde pacing showed an increase in body weight (P less than 0.005) and a decrease in faecal fat (P less than 0.005) and nitrogen (P less than 0.01) losses during the test period, compared with similarly prepared dogs who did not undergo pacing. These results suggest that pot-cibal retrograde electrical pacing of the small intestine may have a place in the management of patients with the short bowel syndrome.