Measurement of Intestinal Permeability During Sepsis

Gut barrier function has been hypothesized to play a critical role in the pathophysiology of sepsis. Measuring intestinal permeability allows for a determination of barrier dysfunction under conditions of health and disease. Fluorescence-conjugated dyes such as fluorescein isothiocyanate-4 kDa dextran (FD4) have been commonly used for evaluating hyperpermeability. Here we describe a common method to measure gut permeability in vivo, following gavage with different sized dyes. In addition, we describe an ex vivo everted gut sac model that allows for discrimination of permeability by segmental geographic location along the intestine.