[Experimental studies on the effects of alpha-tocopherol in small intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury]

In the present study, we quantified the biochemical [thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reactants, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and vitamin E] and histologic changes in the small intestinal tissue after ischemia and/or reperfusion. Sixty-seven Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups; N group: control, A-I group: 30 min. ischemia, A-II group: 120 min. ischemia, B-I group: Declamp after 30 min. ischemia, B-II group: 30 min. reperfusion after 30 min. ischemia, B-III group: 30 min. reperfusion after 120 min. ischemia, E group: vitamin E administration 30 min. reperfusion after 30 min. ischemia. The levels of TBA reactants were significantly different between A-II and B-II, B-II and E (all p less than 0.01). For SOD, there were significant differences between N and B-I (p less than 0.01), N and E (p less than 0.05). For vitamin E, there were significant differences between A-I and B-I, A-I and B-I, B-II and E (all p less than 0.01). Histologic changes showed that the grade of tissue injury was more severe in B-I and B-II than in A-I, and was less in E than in B-II. It is suggested that vitamin E protected cells from injury due to oxygen free radicals.