Effects of immunonutrition on intestinal mucosal apoptosis, mucosal atrophy, and bacterial translocation in head injured rats.
BACKGROUND
Immunonutrition has been demonstrated to modulate gut function, reduce infectious complications, hospital stay, and ventilator days in the critical patients.


OBJECTIVE
We assessed the effect of immunonutrition for the prevention of intestinal mucosal atrophy, apoptosis, and bacterial translocation in head injured rats.


METHODS
Thirty five rats were randomised into 5 groups. Following moderate closed head injury, in Group 1; Standard Enteral Nutrition, Group 2; Immunonutrition, Group 3; TPN, Group 4; pe. saline were applied. Group 5 was control group (chow-fed). The rats were sacrificed and segments of the ileum were removed for histologic examination, and samples of tissues taken for microbiologic evaluation.


RESULTS
Both intestinal apoptosis and mucosal atrophy were significantly lower in Group 2 and Group 5 (p<0.008). Bacterial translocation was significantly lower in Group 2 than Group 1 (p<0.008).


CONCLUSIONS
The enteral immunonutrition prevents intestinal barrier function in brain injured rats.
Ulusoy
Hulya
H
Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Black Sea Technical University, Farabi Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey. ulusoyktu@yahoo.com
Usul
Haydar
H
Aydin
Sevim
S
Kaklikkaya
Nese
N
Cobanoglu
Umit
U
Reis
Abdulkadir
A
Akyol
Ahmet
A
Ozen
Ibrahim
I
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001284:Atrophy; D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley