EFFECT OF LIDOCAINE ON MOTILITY OF THE STOMACH

The effect of locally injected lidocaine on the motor function of the canine stomach was studied. 1) When lidocaine was injected into the muscularis mucosae of the stomach encircling the organ, the peristalsis did not propagate across the injected site. In the portion proximal to the injected site, hypermotility was noted electromyographically consisting of prolonged discharge interval, higher amplitude, occurrence of anti-peristalsis and increase in contraction pressure of the pyloric ring. The hypermotility was seen macroscopically, also. 2) The same results were obtained after injection of lidocaine to anterior or posterior half of the circle of the stomach. 3) Following the injection of lidocaine completely encircling the stomach at two levels of about midportion of the corpus (1/2 level of the stomach) and at the borderline between the corpus and antrum (lower 1/3 level), prolongation of the discharge interval was more marked in the latter instance.