Effect of intraluminal oxygen on experimental ischaemia of the intestine

The small bowel of 44 rats has been made ischaemic for 120 minutes by occluding the superior mesenteric artery. Gaseous oxygen was introduced into the small bowel lumen of 18 of the rats, and gaseous nitrogen into the bowel lumen of a further eight, 30 minutes after the start of the ischaemia. The mortality rate of the control group of 18 rats was 89%, significantly higher than the 39% mortality of the oxygen-treated rats (p less than 0-005). None of the eight rats treated with intraluminal nitrogen survived. Histological changes caused by ischaemia were much reduced in the intestine of the oxygen treated rats. It is suggested that intraluminal oxygen might be useful additional form of therapy for the treatment of the partially ischaemic bowel that may be retained after the resection of definitely non-viable ischaemic bowel at initial laparotomy.