))physiology GIT

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Physiology of gastrointestinal tract (GIT)

,Main function: The GIT provides the body with a supply of water, nutrients, electrolytes

vitamines.

The digestive system is a group of organs working together, responsible for taking whole
foods and turning them into energy and nutrients to allow the body to function, grow, and
.repair itself
Actions:

1) Digestion of the food

2) Absorption of the products of digestion

The gastrointestinal tract is a continuous tube that stretches from the mouth to anus .its
primary function is to serve as a portal whereby nutrients , vitamins minerals ,water and
. electrolyte can be absorbed into the body
:The major activities of GIT
. Ingested food -1
Secretion of fluids and digestive enzymes. The meal is mixed with Secretion from -2
gastrointestinal tract itself and organs that drain into it such as salivary gland, pancreas and
gall- bladder
Mixing and movement of food and wastes. A variety motility patterns that serve to mix -3
.the meal with digestive secretions and move it along the length of GIT
Digested food in which proteins , fats and complex carbohydrates are broken down into -4
.absorbable units
Absorption of nutrients, electrolytes and water from the intestinal lumen to blood -5
.stream
Excretion of wastes .The residues of the meal that cannot be absorbed are expelled -6
.from the body
.GIT have regulatory mechanisms act both locally and systematically -7
. GIT have large number of bacteria particularly in the colon or large intestine -8
Electrical Activity of Gastrointestinal Smooth Muscle:-
The smooth muscle of the gastrointestinal tract is excited by almost continual slow, intrinsic
electrical activity along the membranes of the muscle fibers. This activity has two basic
types of electrical waves
(1)slow waves and (2) spikes, the voltage of the resting membrane potential change to
different levels, this have important effects in controlling motor activity of the
gastrointestinal tract.
Slow Waves. Most gastrointestinal contractions occur rhythmically, by the frequency of
“slow waves” of smooth muscle membrane potential. These waves, not action potentials,
they are slow , undulating changes in the resting membrane potential .Their intensity
usually varies between 5 and15 millivolts , and their frequency ranges in different parts of

the human gastrointestinal tract from 3 to 12per minute about 3 in the body of the
. .stomach, as much as 12 in the duodenum, and about 8 or 9 in the terminal ileum

slow waves is appear to be caused by complex interactions among the smooth muscle cells
and specialized cells, called the interstitial cells of Cajal, act as electrical pacemakers for
smooth muscle cells. These interstitial cells form network with each other and are
interposed between the smooth muscle layers, with synaptic-like contacts to smooth
muscle cells. The interstitial cells of Cajal undergo cyclic changes in membrane potential
due to unique ion channels that periodically open and produce inward (pacemaker)
.currents that may generate slow wave activity

Spike Potentials.
The spike potentials are true action potentials. They occur automatically when the resting
membrane potential of the gastrointestinal smooth muscle becomes more positive than
about -40 millivolts. in Figure( 2) each time the peaks of the slow waves temporarily
become more positive than -40 millivolts, spike potentials appear on these peaks. The
higher the slow wave potential rises ,the greater the frequency of the spike
potentials ,usually ranging between 1 and 10 spikes per second, each gastrointestinal spike
lasting as long as 10 to 20 milliseconds.

potential averages about -56 millivolts, but multiple factors can change this level. When the
potential becomes less negative which is called depolarization of the membrane, the muscle
fibers become more excitable.When the potential
becomes more negative, which is called hyperpolarization, the fibers become less excitable.
Factors that depolarize the membrane—that is, make it more excitable—are (1) stretching
of the muscle, (2) stimulation by acetylcholine, (3) stimulation by parasympathetic nerves
that secrete acetylcholine at their endings, and (4) stimulation by several specific
gastrointestinal hormones. Important factors that make the membrane potential more
negative—that is, hyperpolarize the membrane and make the muscle fibers less excitable—
are(1) the effect of norepinephrine or epinephrine on the fiber membrane and (2)
stimulation of the sympathetic nerves that secrete mainly norepinephrine at their endings.
Membrane potentials in intestinal smooth muscle. Note the slow waves , the spike potentials, total depolarization, and
hyperpolarization all of which occur under different physiologic conditions of the intestine.

:Regulate GIT function

This can be done by two pathways1-neural pathway 2-Humoral pathway

:neural pathway-1

all the activities of GIT are involuntary controlled by (ANS); except ingestion (intake of
food),mastication and defecation
:Neural control can be divided into
A-Intrinsic nerve supply

The GIT has an enteric nervous system or ( local brain) which control movement and
secretion of GIT .Is composed of two layer of neurons and connecting fibers.The outer layer
called the myenteric plexus(Auerbach’s) which control mainly the GIT movement which
increased strength and frequency and GIT tone , and the inner layer called the
submucousal plexus or (Meissner's plexus) which is controls secretion of submucosal
. gland
 Structure of GIT wall

The parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous signal to GIT from the brain and spinal cord
alter the degree of activity of this enteric nervous system.

B-Extrinsic nerve supply; include

The Parasympathetic innervations

Stimulation of parasympathetic nerve fibers releases acetylcholine and causes increase

.activity of the enteric nervous system which enhances the activity of GIT

:The sympathetic innervations

. It has inhibitory function that secrete mainly norepinephrine at their endings

-:Nervous Control of Gastrointestinal Blood Flow

Stimulation of the parasympathetic nerves ,increases local blood flow at the same time that
it increases glandular secretion. The effects of stimulation are not direct that glandular
.secretion lead to increase blood flow

Sympathetic stimulation, by contrast, cause intense vasoconstriction of the arterioles with

.greatly decreased blood flow

After a few minutes of this vasoconstriction, the flow often returns almost to normal by
means of a mechanism called “auto regulatory escape.” That is, the local metabolic
vasodilator mechanisms that are elicited by ischemia override the sympathetic
vasoconstriction returning toward the necessary nutrient blood flow to the gastrointestinal
. glands and muscle

sympathetic vasoconstriction in the gut allows shut-off of gastrointestinal and other

splanchnic blood flow for short periods of time during heavy exercise, when increased flow
is needed by the skeletal muscle and heart. Also, in circulatory shock (inadequate blood flow
throughout the body),when all the body’s vital tissues are in danger of cellular death for lack
of blood flow—especially the brain and the heart—sympathetic stimulation can decrease
splanchnic blood flow to very little for many hours.
Sympathetic stimulation also causes strong vasoconstriction of the large-volume intestinal
and mesenteric veins. This decreases thereby displacing large amounts of blood into other
parts of the circulation. In hemorrhagic shock or other states of low blood volume, this
mechanism can provide as much as 200 to 400 milliliters of extra blood to sustain the
.general circulation
:Humoral pathway-2
This pathway called humoral because it Include hormones and neurotransmitters. GIT
hormones are secreted from certain area of GIT and released into portal circulation to
influence the function of other parts in GIT to regulate movement and secretion of the
: digestive enzyme ,this can be classified into 3 groups

. a-Gastrin family: function mainly on stomach to increase gastric secretion

b-secretin family: secretin influence the secretion and movement of the small
intestine ,and cholecystokinin -pancreozyme (CCK-PZ) ,which act mainly on the secretion of
. gall bladder and pancreas

c-small poly peptides: are really neurotransmitters which may have local function on
certain area of GIT example vasoactive intestinal poly peptide (VIP),substance P

(neurotensin) common pathway to regulate vomiting, villikinin which regulate movement of

.the intestinal villi