title: The effects of apelin on mesenteric ischemia and reperfusion damage in an experimental rat model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. There is ongoing research to find an effective preventive or treatment agent. We aimed to evaluate the effects of apelin 13 (AP) on intestinal I/R injury in a rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 6-8 weeks and weighing 280±20 g were equally divided into three groups (control, I/R and I/R+AP). The control group underwent superior mesenteric artery (SMA) mobilization alone without any clamping. In the I/R and I/R+AP groups, an atraumatic microvascular bulldog clamp was placed across the SMA at its point of origin from the aorta. In the I/R+AP group, 2 μg/kg/d apelin was administered intraperitoneally. After 60 minutes of ischemia, relaparotomy was performed to remove the microvascular clamp on the SMA for 3 hours of reperfusion. After 3 hours, tissue samples were obtained for biochemical [malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels] and histopathological analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MDA levels were significantly higher in the I/R group compared to the control group. Although MDA levels were lower in the I/R+AP group compared tothe I/R group, the difference was not statistically significant. There was also no significant difference between the I/R+AP and I/R groups regarding GSH levels. The median histopathological grade was significantly lower in the I/R+AP group compared to the I/R group (p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Apelin appeared to have a positive effect on oxidative injury; this did not reach statistical significance. Thus, the role of apelin and associated findings in the initial treatment of intestinal ischemia needs further large-scale animal studies before human use.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sağıroğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serhat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oğuz
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gönül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sağıroğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Copuroğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tulin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yalta
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa Burak
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Sayhan
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Hakkari Goverment Hospital, Hakkari, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Yağcı
keywords: Apelin; mesenteric ischemia; reperfusion injury