Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein as a sensitive marker of intestinal ischemia

Determination of the serum level of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein has been used to detect rat intestinal ischemia following ligation or 30-min occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery. The normal values were under the minimal detectable level of less than 2 ng/ml in all the 10 rats. The serum fatty acid-binding protein level increased rapidly, to 340.7 +/- 54.6, 438.5 +/- 40.1, 388.1 +/- 37.4, and 292.2 +/- 95.7 ng/ml (P less than 0.01) at 1, 2, 4, and 8 hr after ligation, respectively. It also increased, to 347.2 +/- 127.7 ng/ml (P less than 0.01) at 1 hr, after a 30-min transient occlusion and then returned to a normal level. Histological studies showed destruction of the villi, disappearance of the mucosa, and transmural necrosis with the progress of time after ligation, while no remarkable morphological change was observed following 30-min transient occlusion. These observations strongly suggest that the intestinal fatty acid-binding protein is a useful biochemical marker for intestinal ischemia, particularly in the early reversible phase.