PMID: 18727279Aug 30, 2008Paper

Effects of nimodipine administration on small bowel mucosa under conditions of laparotomy and consequent 48-hour starvation in a rat model

Annali italiani di chirurgia
Harilaos KantsosJohn Bramis

Abstract

The combination of starvation and surgical trauma induces disturbances to the intestinal mucosal structure and function, as well as changes in mucosal barrier function in the rat small bowel. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of nimodipine administration, on intestinal mucosal structural changes and enterocyte apoptosis, following laparotomy and subsequent postsurgical starvation (PSS) in the rat. Thirty Wistar rats were divided into two experimental groups: A: Control group (n=15), where the animal models underwent laparotomy and consequent 48-hours PSS and B: Nimodipine group (n=15), where the rats underwent laparotomy, followed by intraperitoneal nimodipine administration and consequent 48-hour (h) PSS. Small bowel mucosal structural changes and enterocyte epithelial apoptosis were determined 48 h following laparotomy. Nimodipine rats (group B) demonstrated a significant decrease in small bowel villous height in jejunum (p=0.016) and ileum (p=0.002). Similarly, crypt depth decreased in jejunum (p<0.001) and ileum (p<0.001). Nimodipine group exhibited significantly higher apoptotic index in ileum compared to control rats (p=0.006). Nimodipine did not protect the intestinal mucosa from damage caused by s...Continue Reading

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Apoptosis is a specific process that leads to programmed cell death through the activation of an evolutionary conserved intracellular pathway leading to pathognomic cellular changes distinct from cellular necrosis