Surgical Anatomy Does Not Affect the Progression of Intestinal Failure-Associated Liver Disease in Neonatal Piglets

Intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD) causes significant morbidity in neonates with short bowel syndrome (SBS) dependent on parenteral nutrition (PN). Resected ileum, with loss of the ileocecal valve (ICV), is the most common anatomy in SBS, yet its impact on IFALD has not been adequately studied.

Neonatal piglets were randomized to 75% intestinal resection with jejunocolic anastomosis (JC, n = 12), 75% resection with jejunoileal anastomosis and intact ICV (JI, n = 13), PN-fed sham (sham, n = 14), or sow-fed control (SF, n = 8). Surgical and sham piglets received 100% PN for 14 days before bile flow was measured and blood chemistry, liver pathology, jejunal permeability, and bacterial translocation were assessed.

Bile flow was lower for PN-fed compared with SF (P = .002) but not different between the PN-fed groups. Total bilirubin (P = .03) and liver pathology (P < .001) were greater in PN-fed than SF groups but not different between PN-fed groups. Serum bile acids were increased in sham (P = .01) but not different between SBS groups. PN-fed piglets with sepsis had lower bile flow (P = .001) and increased bilirubin (P = .04). Neither jejunal permeability nor bacterial translocation were different between JC, JI, or sham groups.

Contrary to our hypothesis, the remnant anatomy does not appear to worsen the progression of IFALD. However, the role of sepsis in IFALD should be further explored, in addition to other mechanisms, including PN factors, host immune responses, and intestinal bacterial dysbiosis.