Changes in contractile activity of rabbit colon under stress conditions and during post-stress period before and after blockade of muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic receptors.

Psychogenic stress in rabbits induced by fixation of the animal to a frame was accompanied by an increase in contractile activity of the initial portion of the distal colon, which was abolished by blockade of muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic receptors. Increased contractile activity of the colon was due to centrogenic stimulation of preganglionic neurons of the parasympathetic nervous system followed by the involvement of the effector cholinergic neurons of the enteric nervous system into excitation.