Transplantation
-
Comparative Study
Characterization of hypothermic intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in dogs. Effects of glycine.
The effects of 48 hr of hypothermic (4 degrees C ischemia) and short-term reperfusion. (I-R) on intestinal function and metabolism were studied in dogs utilizing Collins flush alone or with the putative cytoprotectant amino acid, glycine. Intestinal blood flow after hypothermic ischemia in Collins-flushed segments briefly rose at reperfusion, rapidly declined after 5 min, and plateaued over the 60-minute reperfusion period. Paired intestinal segments flushed with 5 mM glycine demonstrated parallel changes in blood flow over the reperfusion period, but the blood flow values were significantly higher (100-300%), relative to the Collins segments. ⋯ Glycine flush did not alter this pattern of NO synthesis. Light microscopic analysis in both Collins- and glycine-flushed segments revealed that intestinal hypothermic ischemia and reperfusion caused significant morphologic changes characterized by loss of villus epithelium, decreased villus height, and venous congestion. These data indicate that glycine significantly improve oxygenation after hypothermic ischemia and reperfusion and prevented the I-R-induced increase in tissue neutrophil infiltration and leukotriene synthesis.