ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate immunological dysfunction of intestine mucosa barrier in a rat model of sepsis. Method Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned randomly(random number) into sepsis group (n = 45)and control group (n = 15). The animals in sepsis group were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), whereas rats of control group underwent a sham surgery. The ileac mucosa and segments were harvested 3 h, 6 h and 12 hours after CLP, and the blood samples were collected. Pathological changes, protein levels of defensin-5 (RD-5) and trefoil factor-3(TFF_3) mRNA, lymphocytes apoptosis in the intestinal mucosa were determined. In an additional experiment, the gut-origin bacterial DNA in blood was detected. Results In the septic animals, in-testinal mucosa showed marked injury with loss of ileal villi, desquamation of epithelium, detachment of the lamina propria, hemorrhage and ulceration. Compared with control, the expression of TFF_3 mRNA and level of RD-5 pro-tein were decreased and the mucosal lymphocyte apoptosis increased (P < 0.05) in sepsis group. Compared with control group, the significant differences in RD-5 and TFF_3 mRNA appeared 3 hours after CLP and those differ-ences were progressively increased in 6 hours and 12 hours after CLP in sepsis group (P < 0.05, F of RD-5 = 11. 76, F of TFF_3 = 16.86 and F of apoptosis = 122.52). In addition, the gut-origin bacterial DNA in plasma de-tected was positive in all sepsis animals. Conclusions It suggests that immunological function of intestinal mucosa is impaired in septic rats and further worsened following the course of sepsis.