title: Establishment and assessments of a new model for the postoperative fatigue syndrome by major small intestinal resection in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Postoperative fatigue syndrome (POFS) is a general and main complication after surgery. However, there is no stable and standardized animal model for POFS. The aim of the present study was to establish a rodent model of POFS by small intestinal resection, with POFS evaluated by acknowledged physical and behavioral methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups according to the length of a "middle" small intestinal resection: 0% (sham group; i.e., laparotomy alone), 10%, 40% and 70% groups, with corresponding lengths of small intestinal resections. Following surgery, the general state of health was evaluated. Tail suspension test, open field test and Morris water maze test were used to evaluate the degree of POFS. Serum albumin, transferrin, prealbumin and fibronectin were measured to assess the nutritional status, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As compared with the other three groups, the 70% small intestinal resection group showed the worst general state of health, decreased strength of the tail suspension test and decreased score of Morris water maze test (p < 0.05) after operation. All rats in whom the small intestinal resection was done demonstrated a certain degree of malnutrition and behavior of depression, and the 70% resection group had the lowest levels of transferrin, prealbumin and fibronectin as compared with the other groups (p < 0.05), as well as decreased SOD and increased MDA in serum (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Resection of 70% of the small intestine resulted in typical characteristics of POFS. As this procedure is simple, stable and easily reproducible, it may serve as a model for research on POFS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bi-Cheng
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qian-Tong
authors.initials: QT
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Shan-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Xing-Zhao
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Jian-Gao
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005221:Fatigue / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000097:blood; D006120:Grooming; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins; D011228:Prealbumin; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014168:Transferrin; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase