The myoelectric activity of the small bowel was evaluated in 6 rabbits following 24 h of complete small-bowel obstruction and in 6 rabbits during an intra-abdominal perfusion with a bacterial suspension containing Bacteroides fragilis and Escherichia coli. Myoelectric recordings were performed before and during pharmacological small-bowel stimulation with ceruletide. Following small-bowel obstruction both slow-wave frequency and spike activity were reduced. Ceruletide stimulation demonstrated a significantly decreased spike activity after 24 h of obstruction. Intra-abdominal bacterial contamination did not affect spontaneous slow-wave frequency and spike activity but induced complete resistance to ceruletide stimulation. Pharmacological stimulation is recommended as an additional method to evaluate the impairment of myoelectric activity in motility disorders.