title: Effects of hyperbaric oxygen on intestinal mucosa apoptosis caused by ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) is an effective adjuvant therapy for ischemia- reperfusion (I/R) injury of the brain, small intestine and testis in addition to crushing injury. Studies have shown that HBO increases the activity of villi of the ileum 30 minutes after I/R injury. The present study aimed to observe the effect of HBO on apoptosis of epithelial cells in the small intestine during different periods of I/R and to elucidate the potential mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were subjected to 60-minute ischemia by clamping the superior mesenteric artery and 60-minute reperfusion by removal of clamping. The rats were randomly divided into four groups: I/R group, HBO precondition or HBO treatment before ischemia (HBO-P), HBO treatment during ischemia period (HBO-I), and HBO treatment during reperfusion (HBO-R). After 60-minute reperfusion, samples of the small intestine were prepared to measure the level of ATP by using the colorimetric method and immunochemical expression of caspase-3. The levels of TNF-α in intestinal tissue were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method (Elisa).
  
  
  RESULTS
  TNF-α levels were significantly lower in the HBO-I group than in the HBO-P (P<0.05), HBO-R and I/R groups; there was no significant difference between the HBO-R and I/R groups (P>0.05). The expression of caspas-3 was significantly lower in the HBO-I group than in the HBO-P group (P<0.05); it was also significantly lower in the HBO-P group than in the I/R and HBO-R groups (P<0.05). ATP level was significantly lower in the HBO-I group than in the HBO-P group (P<0.05), and also it was significantly lower in the HBO-P group than in the I/R and HBO-R groups (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an association between HBO, small intestinal I/R injury, and mucosa apoptosis. HBO maintains ATP and aerobic metabolism, inhibites TNF-α production, and thus prevents intestinal mucosa from apoptosis. Best results can be obtained when HBO is administered to patients in the period of ischemia, and no side effects are produced when HBO is given during the period of reperfusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical Univesity, Shenyang 110001, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Hui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical Univesity, Shenyang 110001, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical Univesity, Shenyang 110001, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: Apoptosis; Hyperbaric oxygen; Ischemia-reperfusion injury