Experimental gastric ulcers were prepared in dogs after the method by Hatafuku and Thal, one at the subcardia and the other at the angular incisure, and healing of these two ulcers were compared. After the operation, endoscopy was carried out at weekly intervals and the sites of ulcers were subjected to macroscopic and micros-copic examinations for measuring the ratio of epithelization. The healing of experi-mental ulcers was also examined under the conditions either with ligation or emboliza-tion of the left and right gastric arteries.
The results obtained are summarized as follows.
1) Ten dogs with ulcer preparation only showed 3 persistent and 7 perforated ulcers at the subcardia and 4 healed, 4 persistent and 2 perforated ulcers at the angular incisure.
2) Four dogs with vessel ligation showed 2 persistent and 2 perforated ulcers at the subcardia and 1 healed, 2 persistent and 1 perforated ulcers at the angular incisure.
3) In 6 dogs with vessel embolization, 3 showed regional erosions.
4) The ratio of epithelization were 22.3% for the high and 68.2% for the low ulcers in the dogs with ulcer preparation only, while these were 11.3% and 54.5% respectively for the dogs with vessel ligation.
In conclusion, the healing of high gastric ulcers were consistently inferior to the one of low gastric ulcers in every preparation. The cause of poor healing of the high gastric ulcers may be elucidated both by the circulatory disturbance and hyper-motility of the ulcer region.

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The effect of TM-723 on the motility of stomach was investigated by using the electromyogram, extraluminal strain gauge force transducer in dog and by measuring the human gastric emptying time.
Three mongrel dogs were equipped with two bipolar electrodes on the serosal surface of the antrum and single bipolar electrode and single strain gauge on the surface of the body. Both the peristaltic spike discharge and contractile activity were recorded during 30minutes before and 60minutes after administration of TM-723 1mg/kg, 3mg/kg and 5mg/kg, iv.The peristaltic spikes were suddenly disappered on administration of TM-723 and after then, recurrent peristaltic spikes were recognized with prolonged interval and increased propagation velocity for about four minutes.The contractile activity increased with the administration of TM-723 for a minute.
Gastric emptying time were measured on four healthy men by using of the test meal containing 300μCi of ^99mTC-DTPA before and after administration of TM-723 50mg per os.The following results were obtained that three of four men had accelerated emptying time and one had no remarkable changes after taking TM-723.
These studies suggest that TM-723 activates the motility of the stomach.

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The gastrointestinal myoelectric activity of conscious dogs was recorded by means of chronically implanted electrodes before and after vagotomy.
In healthy, conscious, intact dogs, digestive and interdigestive patterns of the myoelectric activity were recognized in the stomach and small bowel.
The gastric digestive pattern was composed of cotinuous spike potential activity followed by intermittent spike potential activity, while the intestinal digestive pattern was characterized by intermittent spike potential activity. The interdigestive pattern of the stomach and small bowel consisted of the cyclic recurring, cadually migrating band of intense spike potential activity interrupted by inactivity and intermittent spike potential activity (interdigestive myoelectric complex).
After bilateral transthoracic vagotomy, gastric component of the characteristic interdigestive pattern was not observed.
The results indicated that vagal innervations have a role in controlling the gastric component of the interdigestive myoelectric complex, and that the disappeared interdigestive pattern of the stomach may play an important role in the mechanisms of gastric stasis after vagotomy.

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The effect of nifedipine, one of calcium antagonists, was studied on esophageal function of 10 patients with achalasia. Lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP) was measured with constantly perfused catheter before and after sublingual administra-tion of 10mg nifedipine. Nifedipine decreased LESP both in achalasia patients and normal controls except one patient. The fall of LESP by nifedipine seems to correlate with initial resting LESP. A clinical trial of nifedipine on patients with achalasia was carried out taking nifedipine sublingually in a daily dosis of 30 to 60mg before meal. Nifedipine therapy gave good results in 8 patients, and poor response in one and no effects in one patient. Nifedipine improved symptoms of achalasia, but did not improve the degree of esophageal dilatation. Side effect was observed in only one patient, which was flushing of extremities caused by vasodilation, and it is not hazardous to continue nifedipine therapy. Sublingual administration of nife-dipine in patients with achalasia is very useful way of medical treatment in two respects, 1) nifedipine decreases LESP, and 2) sublingual administration does not need to pass through the drug through esophagogastric junction which pressure is abnormally high in achalasia patients.

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Effects of trimebutine maleate (TM-906) on gastrointestinal motor activity of interdigestive state were studied in seven unanaesthetized dogs by means of chroni-cally implanted force transducers.
In animals which showed typical interdigestive motor pattern consisted of long lasting motor quiescence and recurring high-amplitude contractions (interdigestive contractions), intravenous infusion of TM-906 (0.6-6.0mg/kg-hr) shortened the quiescent period. During TM-906 infusion, the number and the duration of the interdigestive contractions decreased in the gastric antrum. These effects were in a dose dependent manner. Infusion of TM-906 of 6.0mg/kg-hr over 60min introduced additional responses: persistent contractions different from the usual interdigestive contractions and delayed onset of the interdigestive contractions. Metoclopramide (1.8-6.0mg/kg-hr) developed high-frequency contractions with gradually increasing amplitude and caused enhancement of the interdigestive contractions.
In three animals which showed anomalous fasted motor pattern consisted of continuous low-amplitude contractions, bolus i.v. injection of TM-906 (2.0-2.5mg/kg) introduced a transient suppression of the contractions in the antrum. Metoclopramide (1.0mg/kg i.v.) potentiated and hyoscine-N-butylbromide (0.1mg/kg i.v.) inhibited the contractions in all the regions.

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