Endotoxemia inhibits intestinal adaptation in a rat model of short bowel syndrome

Sepsis is commonly associated with or complicates short bowel syndrome (SBS). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of endotoxemia on intestinal adaptation in a rat model of SBS. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three experimental groups: Sham rats underwent bowel transection and re-anastomosis, SBS rats underwent 75% small bowel resection, and SBS-LPS rats underwent bowel resection and were given lipopolysaccharide. Bowel weight, organ weights, and parameters of intestinal adaptation (bowel and mucosal weights, mucosal DNA and protein, villus height, and crypt depth) were determined on day 15 following operation. The results of this study demonstrate that SBS rats showed a significant increase (vs. Sham) in jejunal and ileal bowel and mucosal weight, mucosal DNA and protein, villus height, and crypt depth. SBS-LPS animals demonstrated lower (vs. SBS rats) final body weight (215 +/- 7 vs. 287 +/- 10 g, P < 0.05), overall weight in duodenum (98+/- 2 vs. 119 +/-5 mg/cm, P < 0.05) and jejunum (144 +/- 9 vs. 189 +/- 16 mg/cm, P < 0.05), mucosal weight in jejunum (54 +/- 5 vs. 69 +/- 5 mg/cm, P < 0.05) and ileum (31 +/- 2 vs. 37 +/- 3 mg/cm, P < 0.05), mucosal DNA in jejunum (89 +/- 11 vs. 120 +/- 11 microg/cm, P < 0.05) and ileum (46 +/- 6 vs. 61 +/- 4 microg/cm, P < 0.05), jejunal crypt depth (152 +/- 19 vs. 189 +/- 12 microm, P < 0.05), and ileal villus height (405 +/- 63 vs. 515 +/- 30 pm, P < 0.05). In addition, the SBS group had no late (second week) mortality, whereas the SBS-LPS group had an 17% late mortality rate. In conclusion, in a rat model of SBS-LPS, endotoxemia appears to inhibit structural intestinal adaptation and increase mortality.