Minutes Of Intestinal Ischemia Research Articles

Disruption of the Mucosal Barrier During Gut Ischemia Allows Entry of Digestive Enzymes Into the Intestinal Wall

Intestinal ischemia is associated with high morbidity and mortality, but the underlying mechanisms are uncertain. We hypothesize that during ischemia the intestinal mucosal barrier becomes disrupted, allowing digestive enzymes access into the intestinal wall initiating autodigestion. We used a rat model of splanchnic ischemia by occlusion of the superior mesenteric and celiac arteries up to 30 min with and without luminal injection of tranexamic acid as a trypsin inhibitor. We determined the location and activity of digestive proteases on intestinal sections with in situ zymography, and we examined the disruption of two components of the mucosal barrier: mucin isoforms and the extracellular and intracellular domains of E cadherin with immunohistochemistry and Western blot techniques. The results indicate that nonischemic intestine has low levels of protease activity in its wall. After 15-min ischemia, protease activity was visible at the tip of the villi, and after 30 min, enhanced activity was seen across the full thickness of the intestinal wall. This activity was accompanied by disruption of the mucin layer and loss of both intracellular and extracellular domains of E cadherin. Digestive protease inhibition in the intestinal lumen with tranexamic acid reduced morphological damage and entry of digestive enzymes into the intestinal wall. This study demonstrates that disruption of the mucosal epithelial barrier within minutes of intestinal ischemia allows entry of fully activated pancreatic digestive proteases across the intestinal barrier triggering autodigestion.

Intestinal ischemia and reperfusion impairs vasomotor functions of pulmonary vascular bed.

To investigate the effects of intestinal ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) on the pulmonary vascular endothelium and smooth muscle. Respiratory failure is an important cause of death and complications after intestinal I/R. Although the mechanism of respiratory failure in this setting is complex and poorly understood, recent studies of lung injury suggest that endothelial dysfunction may play a significant role. A rat model of acute lung injury was studied after 60 minutes of superior mesenteric arterial occlusion followed by either 120 or 240 minutes of reperfusion. The pulmonary vasomotor function was examined in isolated lungs perfused at a constant flow rate. Sixty minutes of intestinal ischemia followed by 120 or 240 minutes of reperfusion led to a significant reduction in the ability of the pulmonary vasculature to respond to angiotensin II, acetylcholine, and calcium ionophore but not to nitroglycerin. The vasoconstriction response to N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, which is a measure of basal nitric oxide release, was diminished in the 240-minute reperfusion group. Intestinal I/R was also associated with pulmonary leukosequestration and increased pulmonary microvascular leakage. Basal and agonist-stimulated release of nitric oxide from the pulmonary vascular endothelium and the ability of pulmonary smooth muscle to contract in response to angiotensin II were impaired by intestinal I/R. Such functional impairment in both pulmonary vascular endothelium and smooth muscle may contribute to the alveolocapillary dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension found in acute lung injury after intestinal I/R.