Mechanisms of Gastrointestinal Motility and Secretion

Anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract in relation to motility and secretion.- Techniques for studying gastrointestinal motility in vitro.- Motility: Methods for in vivo measurements.- Smooth muscle electrophysiology.- Electrophysiological studies of myenteric neurons in tissue culture.- Gastrointestinal nerves, hormones and autacoids in relation to human gastrointestinal motility.- Distribution of gut peptides and their actions.- Histamine and the digestive functions.- Relationships of prostaglandins to gastrointestinal motility and secretion.- Gallbladder motility and its regulation.- Histopathological findings relating to disordered motility and secretion.- Neuro-hormonal control of gastric acid secretion: The role of histamine.- Gastrointestinal mucus.- Intestinal absorption and secretion of fluid and electrolytes.- Gallbladder fluid transport.- Relationships among intestinal motility, transit and absorption.- The entero-insular axis.- Neuro-hormonal control of exocrine pancreatic secretion in humans and animals.- Acute and chronic actions of alcohol on pancreatic exocrine secretion in humans and animals.- Dopamine antagonists as anti-emetics and as stimulants of gastric motility.- Mechanisms by which metoclopramide can increase gastrointestinal motility.- Laxatives: A review of their mechanisms of action.- Lectures.- Participants.