Interactions between CNS regulation and serotonergic modulation of crayfish hindgut motility

Motility is a critical function of the gastrointestinal (GI) system governed by neurogenic and myogenic processes. Due to its major role in maintaining homeostasis, overlapping mechanisms have evolved for its adaptive operation including modulation by the Central Nervous System (CNS), Enteric Nervous System (ENS), and intrinsic pacemaker cells. The complex interplay of modulatory mechanisms of intestinal motility remains poorly understood since mammalian species offer limited accessibility. Crayfish provide a tractable ex vivo model to study the interplay between CNS and neurochemical regulation of GI motor patterns. Our study investigated the effects of CNS denervation and exogenously applied serotonin (5-HT) on crayfish hindgut motility. Multiscale spatial measurements showed stable motility parameters throughout 90 minutes of control conditions. Denervation, i.e., separating the gut from the CNS, resulted in a significant decrease in the magnitude and synchrony of hindgut contraction..., Experiments: Adult male crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) were obtained from commercial suppliers and housed in communal tanks under controlled conditions (12-hour light/dark cycle, 22 ± 1.5°C). They were fed twice weekly with shrimp pellets. To standardize feeding and ensure empty hindguts before dissection, crayfish were isolated in smaller tanks 3-4 days after the last communal feeding, given one shrimp pellet upon isolation, and kept unfed for four days before experiments. Crayfish were anesthetized on ice for 15–25 minutes before dissection. The ventral and dorsal carapaces were cut bilaterally to expose the nerve cord and hindgut. The dorsal artery along the hindgut was removed, and the nerve cord was carefully separated by cutting the lateral nerves, except for nerves 5, 6, and 7 connected to the telson, anus, and hindgut musculature. The hindgut, attached to the nerve cord via nerve 7, was isolated, cleaned of muscles, arteries, and other nerves, and placed in crayfish saline. The ..., , # Interactions between CNS regulation and serotonergic modulation of crayfish hindgut motility

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.qv9s4mwr3](10.5061/dryad.qv9s4mwr3)

## Description of the data and file structure

# README for Gut Motility Dataset

This dataset contains hindgut motility measurements from crayfish under various experimental treatments. Data are stored primarily as MATLAB (`.mat`) files, in the form of structured variables such as motility maps, and wave metrics for further quantitative analysis.

---

## Data Folder Structure

* `motility_metrics_by_variable`
* `motility_metrics_by_treatment_phase`
* `dv_motility_kymographs`
* `dv_speed_thresholds_all_movies`
* `motility_statistics_spss`

---

## Key Variables and Units

### Fourier Wave Analysis Variables

Each `.mat` file stores six metrics derived from dorsal-ventral motility maps over two consecutive ~15-minute intervals:

* `ptot`: Total power in the dorsal-ventral motion spectrum (unit: (mm/s)²)
* `per_power`: Percent of...,