Segmental difference in epithelial and mucosal barrier functions between the jejunum and the ileum in cold storage...

The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in epithelial and mucosal barrier function between the jejunum and the ileum at transplantation. Rat small bowel was preserved in cold University of Wisconsin solution for 0, 12 or 24 hrs. Time-related segmental differences in the potential differences, at rest (rPD) and upon glucose stimulation (PDgs), and in the permeation rates of phenolsulfonphtalein (PSP) and polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG) as non-absorbable markers were studied after a 20-min reoxygenation period following cold preservation. Time-related histologic damage during cold preservation was also evaluated. After 24 hrs of preservation, when the villi were denuded both in jejunum and ileum, the rPD (1.4 +/- 0.3 mV/cm2) and PDgs (1.4 +/- 0.3 mV/cm2) of the jejunum were significantly lower than those of the ileum (1.9 +/- 0.3 mV/cm2 and 2.1 +/- 0.3 mV/cm2, respectively). A difference in PEG permeation rates occurred after 24 hrs of preservation. The permeation rate of PSP in the jejunum was 10.5 +/- 1.0%, which was significantly higher than that in the ileum (8.6 +/- 1.0%) after 12 of preservation, when subepithelial edema occurred both in the jejunum and ileum. Our functional study demonstrated that, in the rat small bowel, the ileumis more resistant than the jejunum to cold preservation.