ABSORPTIVE FUNCTION OF SEGMENTAL ALLOTRANSPLANTED SMALL-INTESTINES INPIGS

Ten outbred pigs were each operated on for three times. First, a 130 c m length of terminal ileum of each pig was isolated on its vascular pe dicle as a Thiry-Vella loop. One week later, the solitary ileal segmen ts were transplanted heterotopically in two pigs. And after 28 days of heterotopic transplantation, the transplanted intestine was interpose d into continuity of host intestine as orthotopic transplant. During t he experiment, tests were made on 6th day after the first operation (p eriod 1), the 14th (II), 28th (III) day after heterotopic transplantat ion, and 3 weeks after interposition (IV) respectively for the levels of glucose, palmitate and leucine. Additionally, at period I, III, and IV, a 3 cm length of intestinal mucosa was excised for morphologic ob servation and determination of DNA, RNA and protein contents. After he terotopic transplantation, the absorptive function of transplanted int estine was severely impaired for two weeks. The absorption of glucose! and palmitate was partially recovered by period III, at which time le ucine level had return to normal. At period IV, the absorptive functio n of glucose and leucine had surpassed normal levels, while palmitate had risen to the level of pretransplantation. After transplantation, a t period III, DNA, RNA and protein contents were well below normal. Th ree weeks after orthotopic transplantation, RNA and protein had risen to normal level, while DNA content remained below normal, The morpholo gic changes during the experiment were correlated with the changes of contents in RNA, protein and DNA. The area, height, width of villi and the area, depth, width:of crypt were below normal at III and recovere d by 3 weeks after orthotopic transplantation (period IV), but were st ill lower than the levels at pretransplantation. Crypt depths were dee per than those of pretransplantation.