A successful short-bowel syndrome model in neonatal piglets

Background: With the higher survival rate of premature neonates as a result of improved neonatal intensive care, the incidence of necrotizing enteroco litis, and thus the incidence of short-bowel syndrome, is increasing. An ap propriate animal model resembling the (premature) neonate with short-bowel syndrome suitable for clinically relevant neonatal bowel adaptation and int ervention studies, is not available at present. The purpose of this study w as the development of a short-bowel syndrome model that mimics the clinical state of the affected neonatal patient. Methods: Sixteen 7-day-old piglets received either a small bowel transectio n (group A) or a 75% resection (group B). The piglets were fed 125 kcal/kg body weight per day, including additional electrolytes. The animals were we ighed daily and were killed 28 days after surgery. Bowel samples were obtai ned at both time points. Results: Mortality rates in groups A and B were 0% and 8%, respectively. Bo dy weight gain was significantly higher in group A than in group B (156% vs . 93%; P = 0.01). Jejunal villus length was higher in group B than in group A (74% vs. -2%; P = 0.006), and crypt depth was higher in group B in both jejunum (201% vs. 67%; P = 0.001) and ileum, (197% vs. 20%; P = 0.001), tha n in group A. Conclusions: In 7-day-old piglets 75% small bowel resection leads to a clin ical short-bowel syndrome, demonstrated by reduced weight gain and typical changes in bowel adaptation parameters. The excellent survival of the anima ls provides a possibility for the study of bowel adaptation in a neonatal m odel as well as in intervention studies.