Mechanoreceptors in the crop of the domestic fowl.

Electrophysiological "single fiber" experiments were conducted on the vagal nerves of the domestic fowl to confirm the presence of mechanoreceptors in the crop and to study their properties. The afferent activity of the left vagus nerve was recorded in nine anaesthetized laying hens with and without the crop being artificially distended. Twenty-two units were found to respond to the crop inflation, 18 of them being slowly adapting mechanoreceptors. The discharge rate of these slowly adapting units increased as the pressure inside the crop was raised. Twelve units were localized and the responses of three units to different doses of acetylcholine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine were obtained. Mechanoreceptor discharges were enhanced when the crop was distended and during drug-induced contractions of its smooth muscle, suggesting an "in series" location within the muscle layers. Such receptors may provide the afferent limb of a reflex regulating crop motility and may be involved in the regulation of feed intake.