MUCUS SECRETAGOGUE ACTIVITY IN CECAL CONTENTS OF RABBITS WITH MUCOID ENTEROPATHY

Cecal filtrates from rabbits with cecal ligation-induced mucoid entero pathy have been reported to cause goblet cell hyperplasia in intestina l explants. This study was performed to see whether such filtrates wou ld stimulate mucus secretion from intestinal explants. Filtrates were prepared from cecal contents of five control rabbits, five rabbits tha t had undergone cecal ligation, and five rabbits that had had the dist al branch of the ileocecocolic vessels and nerve incorporated into the cecal ligature. After incubation of each with ileal and colonic expla nts from five healthy rabbits, the amount of mucus in the media/filtra te solution was measured with an enzyme-linked lectin assay, Significa ntly (P < 0.05) more mucus was secreted by colonic explants in the pre sence of cecal filtrates from either of the cecal. ligation groups com pared with controls, With pooled filtrates from each group, these resu lts were confirmed by measuring secretion of radiolabeled mucus from e xplants that had been preincubated with [H-3]glucosamine. The secretag ogue activity was found to be precipitable by 85% ammonium sulfate and destroyed by heat treatment (100 degrees C for 30 min) or acid treatm ent (pH 1.0 for 30 min), Very little, if any, secretagogue activity wa s present in cecal vein serum, The results support the hypothesis that the cecal contents of rabbits with cecal ligation-induced mucoid ente ropathy stimulate mucus secretion from colonic explants taken from hea lthy rabbits.