Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
Rodent Model of Intestinal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury via Occlusion of the Superior Mesenteric Artery
Published on: October 20, 2023
Different patterns of intestinal response to injury after arterial, venous or arteriovenous occlusion in rats
Francisco Javier Guzmán-de la Garza1, Carlos Rodrigo Cámara-Lemarroy, Gabriela Alarcón-Galván
1Department of Physiology, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, School of Medicine, Monterrey, Nuevo León 64460, México.
Aim:
To investigate the differences in injury patterns caused by arterial, venous or arteriovenous mesenteric occlusion.
Methods:
Male Wistar rats were separated equally into four groups. Occlusion was performed by clamping the superior mesenteric artery (A), the mesenteric vein (V) or both (AV) for 30 min, followed by 60 min of reperfusion. A control group received sham surgery only. Intestinal sections were examined for histological damage and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), endothelin-1 (ET-1), P-selectin, antithrombin III (ATIII) and soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) concentrations were measured.
Results:
All groups showed significant mucosal injury compared to controls. Furthermore, mucosal injury was significantly more severe in the V and AV groups compared to the A group (3.6 +/- 0.55, 3.4 +/- 0.55 and 2 +/- 0.71, respectively P = 0.01). ICAM-1 was similarly elevated in all groups, with no significant differences between the groups. P-selectin levels were significantly elevated in the V and AV groups but not the A group (1.4 +/- 0.5 ng/mL, 2.52 +/- 0.9 ng/mL and 0.02 +/- 0.01 ng/mL, respectively, P = 0.01) and ET-1 was significantly elevated in the A and V groups but not the AV group (0.32 +/- 0.04 pg/mL, 0.36 +/- 0.05 pg/mL and 0.29 +/- 0.03 pg/mL, respectively, P = 0.01) compared to sham controls. ATIII levels were markedly depleted in the V and AV groups, but not in the A group (29.1 +/- 5.2 pg/mL, 31.4 +/- 21.8 pg/mL and 55.8 +/- 35.6 pg/mL, respectively, P = 0.01), compared to controls. Serum TNF-alpha was significantly increased in all groups compared to sham controls (1.32 +/- 0.87 ng/mL, 1.79 +/- 0.20 ng/mL and 4.4 +/- 0.69 ng/mL, for groups A, V and AV, respectively, P = 0.01), with higher values in the AV group.
Conclusion:
Different patterns of response to ischemia/reperfusion are associated with venous, arterial or arteriovenous occlusion. Venous and arteriovenous occlusion was associated with the most severe alterations.
