Effects of partial hepatectomy on the distal ileum in rats.
BACKGROUND
hepatectomy, both partial resection and transplant, has greatly developed and advanced during the last years as a result of a better understanding of surgical anatomy and the progress of technological means; it has also allowed a widening of surgical indications, including living-donor liver transplantation. The aims of our study was to assess the morphological impact of partial hepatectomy on the distal ileum, since the liver and intestine behave as a unit from an anatomical, functional, and metabolic point of view.


METHODS
twenty-four Wistar rats were used; they were divided into two groups, a control and an experimental group (30, 90, and 180 days). We studied changes occurred in the distal ileum after a 70% liver resection, taking 4 parameters into account.


RESULTS
an important drop in total thickness occurred at the ileum wall in the experimental group (p < 0.001). There were no important differences in villus height with regard to the control group. Thickness at the villi fell significantly (p < 0.01), as did the depth of the crypts, which diminished significantly in relation to the control group (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
a 70% hepatectomy induces trophic changes on the distal ileum that remain in both the short and longer term, and causes atrophy of the ileum wall and a drop in villus thickness.
Rodríguez Sanz
M B
MB
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology and Surgery, School of Medicine, Universidad of Valladolid, Spain. brodriguez@hrchr.sacyl.es
Alarcón García
J
J
del Riego Tomás
F J
FJ
Vaquero Puerta
C
C
D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007077:Ileal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D007082:Ileum / Q000473:pathology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar