Neonate ruminants possess little cell-wall and starch degrading enzyme activity. Importantly, early establishment of fibrolytic, amylolytic, and proteolytic capacities is influential for the early expansion of the reticulorumen epithelia. Such an early development in reticulorumen fermentation will enable a timely hepatic adaptation to volatile fatty acids assimilation. The early nutrient relea...

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and lactate are endproducts of rumen fermentation and important energy sources for the host ruminant. Because their rapid accumulation results in ruminal acidosis, enhancement of the absorption of SCFA and lactate across reticuloruminal wall is instrumental in increasing energy supply and preventing ruminal acidosis in cattle. This study investigated whether the ...

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal side effects are particularly common with clozapine and occur with other antipsychotics, ranging from mild constipation to fatal bowel obstruction and/or ischemia. While this adverse-effect spectrum has been attributed to 'gastrointestinal hypomotility', gastrointestinal transit times in antipsychotic-treated patients have not previously been measured, making this me...

Ingestion and digestion of food as well as expulsion of residual material from our gastrointestinal tract requires normal propulsive, i.e. motor, function. Hypomotility refers to inherited or acquired changes that come with decreased contractile forces or slower transit. It not only often causes symptoms but also may compromise nutritional status or lead to other complications. While severe for...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Studies in adults suggest that constipation may not be a purely colonic pathology and may be a component of a generalized gastrointestinal (GI) motor disorder in which proximal GI motility can be impaired. Pediatric data are scarce, and the natural history of the disorder remains undefined. We aimed to evaluate gallbladder motility in a subset of Asian children with chronic func...

Rumen development is an important factor determining early solid feed intake and performance in cattle. A popular trend towards early weaning of newborn dairy calves necessitated looking for ways of accelerating the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development. The present study aimed to determine the effect of sodium butyrate (NaB) supplementation in milk replacer and starter diet on rumen develop...