title: Spinal cord transection modifies ileal fluid and electrolyte transport in rats.
abstract: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with severe autonomic changes, including inhibition of gastrointestinal (GI) motility. GI motility changes are known to affect electrolytes transport and these changes have not been adequately studied after SCI. We studied the ileal permeability to fluid and electrolytes in rats submitted to experimental spinal cord transection (SCT), between T4 and T5, throughout the first week after SCT. SCT increased ileal secretion of Na+ (P<0.05) and decreased the Cl(-) absorption during the first week post SCI (P<0.05). Water transport was also significantly altered, leading to increased water secretion following the Na+ gradient. Ileal secretion of K+ was significantly increased 1 and 7 days after spinal cord injury. To our knowledge, the present findings are the first direct evidence that SCT alters ileal electrolyte transport in rats. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the mechanisms involved in this phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno Amaral
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.forename: Camila Linhares
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Raimundo Campos
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Palheta
authors.forename: Dário Augusto Ferreira
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: de Queiroz
authors.forename: José Ronaldo Vasconcelos
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: da Graça
authors.forename: Armenio Aguiar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Francisco Hélio
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Rola
authors.forename: Aldo Angelo Moreira
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Francisco de Assis Aquino
authors.initials: Fde A
authors.lastname: Gondim
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000502:physiology; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D007082:Ileum / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D014867:Water