EFFECT OF NEUROTENSIN ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUCKLING RATS WITH INTESTINAL RESECTION

Massive intestinal resection produces malabsortion which, in the suckl ing rat, reduces growth, Our aim was to determine whether the prolifer ative action of neurotensin, can reduce the negative effects on growth induced by bowel resection. Fifteen days old suckling Wistar rats wer e used. Twenty rats underwent 90% midgut resection and twelve were use d as controls, Half the animals were treated with neurotensin (600 mu g/kg-day) until sacrifice 30 days later. Body and bone weight were mea sured and mucosal samples obtained. All resected animals lost body wei ght and bone weight. Neurotensin treatment reduced femur weight loss, After bowel resection, significant trophic effects were observed at mu cosal level (crypt and villous size) but only in the jejunum of resect ed animals neurotensin treatment had a trophic effect. In conclusion, neurotensin favors intestinal adaptation after resection without impro ving mid-term growth in the suckling rat.