[Duality of the myoelectric activity of the colon in the animal].

The electrical activity of the different regions of the colon was recorded from chronically implanted electrodes in six different species. Two types of spiking activity were identified as common to all the species: short spike bursts (SSB), lasting less than 5 sec, occurring in series and localized at one electrode site, and long spike bursts (LSB) of more than 5 sec in duration and propagated over a colonic segment. No relationships were found between the anatomical or feeding peculiarity and the spiking activity of a species. Intense SSB activity was always associated with the formation of dried pellets. The propulsion of digesta seemed to be related to the LSB, their preponderance being associated to the shortest transit times.