The research program involves a study of the physiology and pharmacology of the large intestine of mice with hereditary megacolon and absence of enteric neurons. The objectives of the study are to determine: 1) How the electrical and mechanical activity of the pathological bowel differs from the normal large intestine. 2) What differences in the responses to electrical and mechanical stimuli of the colonic musculature exist between the abnormal and normal mice. 3) If differences in responses to autonomic drugs exist between normal mice and siblings with megacolon; if denervation hypersensitivity to drugs is present. 4) If the content and distribution of catecholamines, acetylcholine, acetylcholine esterase, and certain metabolites differ in the aganglionic segment of bowel. 5) The time course of development of the manifestations of fecal stasis and associated megacolon. 6) Etiology and pathophysiology of Hirschsprung's disease and related disorders of the alimentary canal. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Wood, J.D. and L. Brann. 1976. Motility studies on the large intestine of mice with hereditary megacolon and absence of enteric ganglion cells. Proceedings V International Symposium on gastrointestinal motility. Leuven, Belgium (In press). Brann, L. and J.D. Wood. 1976. Motility of the large intestine of piebald lethal mice. American Journal of Digestive Diseases (in press).