Non-invasive smooth muscle electromyography (SMEMG) as a novel monitoring technology of the gastrointestinal tract of awake, free-moving pigs-A pilot study

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 13;16(9):e0257311. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257311. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

There are several mathematical models and measurements to determine the efficiency of the digestibility of different feedstuffs. However, there is lack of information regarding the direct methods or measurement techniques used to analyse the physical response of the different parts of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of growing pigs to different diets. Smooth muscle electromyography (SMEMG) is a non-invasive method for the measurement of gastrointestinal myoelectrical activity. In the present study, SMEMG methodology has been adapted from laboratory rats to pigs, and the effects of feedstuffs with control (CTR) or experimentally increased (EXP) amounts of fibre were investigated on gastrointestinal tract motility. Nine barrow pigs ((Danish Landrace × Danish Yorkshire) × Danish Duroc) were used (30 ± 3 kg), and their CTR and EXP feedstuffs contained 29 and 49 g/kg crude fibre (CF), respectively. Myoelectric activities of the stomach, ileum and caecum were detected in the awake pigs by a pair of electrodes. The recorded myoelectric signals were analysed with fast Fourier transformation (FFT), and the spectra were expressed in GIT section-specific cycles per minutes (cpm) values and the maximum power spectrum density (PsDmax). A significant increase (P < 0.001) was observed in the value of the PsDmax of the small intestine (20-25 cpm) as a consequence of the EXP diet. The PsDmax values of the stomach (3-5 cpm) and large intestine (1-3 cpm) did not show any significant change in pigs fed the EXP diet. As a direct and non-invasive method, SMEMG is suitable for the rapid evaluation of the effects of diets with different fibre contents on the GIT of non-anaesthetised, free-moving pigs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animal Feed
  • Animals
  • Electromyography / methods*
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / diagnostic imaging*
  • Intestine, Small / diagnostic imaging
  • Swine
  • Wakefulness / physiology

Grants and funding

This publication was prepared within the framework of the predoctoral scholarship program of the Ministry of Human Capacities, Hungary (project number: EFOP-3.6.3-VEKOP-16-2017-00005). The results discussed in this publication are the outcome of an independent research that was part of a PhD work. The conditions (stable, animals, human resources) were provided and financed by Széchenyi István University and Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, which has been recognized in the „Acknowledgements” section. Commercial R&D companies, ADEXGO Kft. and MSB-MET Kft. provided support in the form of salaries for authors [G. Bazar, Gy. Grosz, T. Tóth], but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.