Effect of Ischemia on the Canine Large Bowel: A Comparison with the Small Intestine

Abstract

Mucosal injury caused by ischemia and reperfusion has been well documented with the small intestine, but little is known about the colon. In the present study, the effect of warm and cold ischemia on the canine colon was studied and compared to that on the small intestine. After in situ flushing, the small intestine and the colon from six beagle dogs were removed and stored for 0.5, 1.5, and 3 hr at 37°C (warm ischemia) or for 1, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hr at 4°C (cold ischemia). Electrophysiology, permeability, biochemistry, and histopathology of the specimens at each ischemic period and after reperfusion in the Ussing chamber were determined. Warm and cold ischemia induced durationdependent suppression of electrophysiology in both organs, but the colonic mucosa retained higher activity of absorptive enterocytes and cryptic cells than the small intestine. Only the colon showed increased permeability of FITC-conjugated Dextran from the mucosal surface to the submucosal layer after prolonged ischemia. Changes in adenine nucleotides and purine catabolites were not markedly different between the organs. Histopathologic abnormalities during ischemia and after reperfusion were more serious with the small intestine than with the colon. Compared to warm ischemia, hypothermia lessened or delayed these morphofunctional derangements in both organs, which became universally worsened after reperfusion. Colonic mucosa receives morphofunctional derangements from ischemia and reperfusion, but the severity of the damage was much less severe in the colon than in the small intestine.

The balance between the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-10 determines tissue injury and lethality during intestinal ischemia and reperfusion

“…The intestine is composed of labile cells that are easily injured by episodes of ischemia. Subsequent reperfusion of the intestine results in further damage to the mucosa (Takeyoshi et al 1996).…”

Mucosal damage and recovery of intestine after prolonged preservation and transplantation in dogs

“…Electrophysiologic measurements were performed by essentially the same method as previously reported (13,14). Specimens consisting of the mucosal and submucosal layers were separated from the seromuscular layer by blunt resection.…”

Evaluation and graduation of histomorphological changes in ischemic small or large intestine regions after strangulation – a field study

“…In der Literatur finden sich zur Beurteilung der Regenerationsfähigkeit des Dünndarmepithels anhand der Epithelalteration kaum Angaben. Lediglich bei Hunden wurde das Voranschreiten einer experimentell ausgelösten Ischämie im Dünn-oder Dickdarm miteinander verglichen und viele Ähnlichkeiten in der Alterationsausprägung festgestellt, so dass die am Dickdarm erlangten Erkenntnisse vermutlich auf den Dünndarm übertragen werden können (Takeyoshi et al 1996). Beträgt der Epithelverlust in den Krypten des Dickdarms unter 60 %, ist ein Überleben des Pferdes wahrscheinlich .…”