Abstract
Several extrinsic and intrinsic factors regulate blood flow to the gastrointestinal tract. The relative contribution of each component cannot be easily distinguished in the intact organism; but, in simplified experimental models, the gut regulates its blood flow in the absence of extrinsic influences, which attests to the importance of local mechanisms.
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This intrinsic control can be attributed to the enteric nervous system,
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a myogenic mechanism,
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and a local metabolic mechanism.