OXYGENATED INTRALUMINAL PERFLUOROCARBON PROTECTS INTESTINAL MUSCOSA FROM ISCHEMIA REPERFUSION INJURY/

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury to the intestinal mucosa occurs in s everal commonly encountered clinical situations, such as necrotizing e nterocolitis and nonocclusive mesenteric insufficiency. No clinically feasible technique is available for mucosal preservation during ischem ia. The goal of this work was to determine whether the continuous intr aluminal flow of oxygenated perfluorocarbon (PFC) could protect mucosa l integrity and function in a rat model of intestinal I/R injury. Rats were subjected to ischemia by clipping the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) for 60 minutes, Reperfusion was achieved by release of the clip for 120 minutes. Animals were divided into 4 groups: Sham (laparotomy alone), I/R (I/R alone), I + PFC/R (PFC was administered during the i schemic interval only), I/R + PFC (PFC was delivered only during reper fusion). Tissue sections were examined blindly to assess mucosal integ rity, and mucosal disaccharidase activities were measured to assess fu nction. Oxygenated PFC, when administered during ischemia alone, ameli orated I/R-induced mucosal injury; however, when it was delivered duri ng reperfusion alone, the mucosal injury worsened. When oxygenated PFC was administered throughout I/R, the degree of mucosal injury was sim ilar to the I + PFC/R group, and disaccharidase activities were preser ved when compared with the I/R group. Intraluminal perfusion of oxygen ated PFC during ischemia preserves mucosal function and integrity, and may offer a new treatment modality for a variety of mesenteric ischem ic disorders. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.