[Significance of in-vitro studies ofr the evaluation of gastrointestinal motility].

To study the function of the smooth muscles taken from the gastrointestinal tract the simple organ bath or various superfusion techniques can be used. With the aid of these methods it is possible to measure contractile and electrical phenomena of the isolated muscles. In addition the reactivity to various stimuli can be tested. Such in-vitro-systems elucidate principal questions of physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology. However, there is no direct clinical significance of in-vitro-investigations of gastrointestinal motility up til now. The clinical benefit of such investigations can be seen in the better understanding of the pathophysiology and in the discovery of new drugs in the field of gastrointestinal motility.