Mucosal glutaminase activity and histology as parameters of small bowel preservation injury

The present study in Lewis rats was designed to assess the predictive value of the mucosal enzyme activities of glutaminase, maltase, and xanthine oxidase and of histology as parameters to delineate the degree of small bowel preservation injury. Small bowel grafts were flushed with saline or a modified phosphate-buffered sucrose (PBS) solution, stored at 8 degrees C for 1, 6, or 12 hr, and transplanted heterotopically. Tissue samples for determination of mucosal enzyme activities were taken after the cold storage period, 20 min after reperfusion and 2 and 7 days postoperatively. Biopsies for light microscopic evaluations were obtained at the same time points, but not after cold storage. Glutaminase activity was well maintained after cold storage, regardless of the duration of preservation. Enzyme activities measured 20 min after reperfusion decreased with increasing duration of preservation (saline: R2 = 32.8%; P < 0.01; PBS: R2 = 52.3%; P < or = 0.001) and with increasing histologic preservation injury. Glutaminase activities were predictive for survival of grafts preserved with the PBS solution (R2 = 49.6%; P < or = 0.001; sensitivity 92%; specificity 100%), while the activities of maltase and of xanthine oxidase failed to do so. The degree of histologic preservation injury seen in graft specimens obtained 20 min after reperfusion was a good predictor of graft survival with a sensitivity of 90% for saline-preserved grafts and 92% for PBS-preserved grafts and a specificity of 88 and 67%, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)