Augmentation of mucosal adaptation following small-bowel resection by electromagnetic field stimulation in rats

Survival following massive resection of the small intestine is often possible due to substantial hyperplasia of the mucosal surface in the remaining small intestine. While nutrients provide the major stimulus for hyperplasia in the clinical setting, the availability of drugs to augment this process would have obvious therapeutic implications. Electromagnetic field stimulation (EMF) of connective tissue and skin increased the DNA and messenger RNA and protein synthesis in experimental studies. We evaluated the ability of electromagnetic field stimulation to augment mucosal hyperplasia following massive small bowel resection in the rat. Two groups of 10 Wistar rats, 250 gr body weight, were subjected to 70% jejunoileal resection. The first group received EMF stimulation for ten days at a dosage of 43.20 gauss, the second group did not receive any stimulation. After fourteen days, segmental evaluation of mucosal mass in the remaining small intestine was determined by measuring mucosal protein, and disaccharidase levels, as well as intestinal length and circumference. EMF stimulation appears to augment mucosal adaptation following massive small bowel resection in rat, in the proximal and distal small intestine.