Intestinal motor and transit disturbances associated with experimental coccidiosis (Eimeria magna) in the rabbit.

Digestive motility has been analyzed in three rabbits chronically fitted with intraparietal electrodes, during 6 days before and 18 days after infection with 100,000 oocysts of E. magna. The rate of flow and the transit time of digesta in the small intestine were determined during the same period by marker dilution techniques in three other rabbits fitted with an intraluminal catheter and a cannula at respectively 1.2 and 0.4 m from the ileo-caecal valve. The main disturbances of small intestine motility consisted in a disorganization of the motor profile from the 4-5th day after infection and in a strong inhibition on the 8-9th days. Gastric motility was inhibited from the 4th to the 8th day while the frequency of caecal contractions increased on the 8-9th days. An increase of the rate of flow of digesta appeared on the 8-9th days with a concomitant increase of the transit time in two rabbits and a decrease of transit time in the third rabbit. Intestinal hypomotility and the increase of digesta flow seemed to be the two primary disturbances, the consequences of which were the changes in the gastric and caecal motility and in the transit time of digesta.