A MECHANISM CONTROLLING MOVEMENTS OF THE SPIRAL INTESTINE IN ELASMOBRANCHS

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Abstract
A study has been made of the anatomical relations and function of a large sheet of smooth muscle lying in the anterior mesentery of elasmobranchs. This muscle acts on the spiral intestine, pulling it anteriorly and at the same time causing a marked rotation of the intestine towards the right. Its contraction is produced by direct mechanical or electrical stimulation, by stretching and by sympathetic and parasympathetic drugs. It is doubtful whether the mesenteric muscle is under the control of extrinsic sympathetic or parasympathetic nerves since stimulation of these produces a contraction only when there is simultaneous activity in the stomach or intestine. The contraction in this latter case could be due to a secondary stimulation produced by mechanical or tension effects. It is thought that this muscle acts as a mechanism for regulating the position of the spiral intestine during digestion.

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