title: Lower limb ischaemia-reperfusion injury alters gastrointestinal structure and function.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been suggested that bowel permeability is altered following abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. The effect of ischaemia-reperfusion injury to the lower limb on the morphological structure, neutrophil infiltration and permeability of the bowel was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histological assessment of the bowel was undertaken in five groups of Wistar rats: control, 3 h of bilateral hind limb ischaemia and 3 h of bilateral hind limb ischaemia followed by 1, 2 or 3 h of reperfusion. Using an everted gut sac model and 14C-labelled polyethylene glycol, the effect of ischaemia-reperfusion on small bowel permeability was studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The small bowel showed a significant decrease in mucosal thickness, villus height and crypt depth in animals subjected to ischaemia followed by 2-hr reperfusion (mean(s.e.m.) 420(15), 217(9) and 163(6) microns respectively) compared with controls (481(11), 245(6) and 195(6) microns) (P < 0.05). Neutrophil count within the lamina propria was similar in the different groups. A significant increase in mean(s.e.m.) 14C-labelled polyethylene glycol translocation was detected in animals subjected to ischaemia-reperfusion compared with controls (760(40) versus 560(27) c.p.m. per ml per h) (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that reperfusion of acutely ischaemic extremities produces structural and functional changes in the small intestine, although these changes are not associated with increased neutrophil infiltration within the bowel wall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Queen's University of Belfast, UK.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Yassin
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Barros D'Sa
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Parks
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: McCaigue
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leggett
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Halliday
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Rowlands
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000098:blood supply*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007511:Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000150:complications*