Suppression of intestinal epithelium apoptosis by shenfu solution during reperfusional period

Qingtao MENG; Zhongyuan XIA; Xianyi LIU; Xiangdong CHEN; Guixian XIONG

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The abnormal apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells is the main cause of intestinal mucous membrane injury during ischemia reperfusion. Shenfu injection has good therapeutic effect on intestinal mucous membrane injury.

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the influence of shenfu injection medication on intestinal apoptotic epithelial number, apoptosis-related caspase-3 and Bcl-2 gene expression, as well as the level of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)in intestinal ischemia reperfusion rat model.

DESIGN:

Randomized controlled experiment.

SETTING:

Department of Anesthesia, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University.MATERIALSThis experiment was carried out in the laboratory of the Department of Anesthesia, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, between December 2002 and June 2003. Totally 24 healthy SD rats of clean grade were randomized into blank control group, intestinal ischemia reperfusion (IR) group and shenfu injection group with 8 rats in each group.

METHODS:

Rats in each group were anesthetized with intraperitoneal injection of ethyl carbamate at dosage of 1mg/kg; then in intestinal IR group and shenfu injection group rats' superior mesenteric artery was occluded with vascular clamp for 1 hour before 2-hour reperfusion,which was not conducted in blank control group. Rats in shenfu injection group were intravenously injected with shenfu injection at 30 minutes before occlusion at dose of 0.02 mL/g, which was replaced by the same volume of physical saline in blank control group and intestinal IR group. The expression of caspase-3 and Bcl-2 protein and cell apoptosis wee detected.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

① Comparison of apoptotic index between groups. ② The expression of caspase-3 and Bcl-2 gene in rat intestinal epithelium. ③ Comparison of TNF content in intestinal mucous membrane homogenate between groups.

RESULTS:

Totally 24 rats were included in this experiment and all ehtered the result analysis. ①Comparison of apoptotic index between groupsThe apoptotic index was obviously lower in shenfu injection group than in intestinal IR group, but higher than in blank control group [(7.75-±1.89)%,(28.25±8.50)%, (4.25-±2.63)%, P ＜ 0.01]. ② The expression of caspase-3 and Bcl-2 gene in rat intestinal epithelium caspase-3 expression was lower in shenfu injection group than in intestinal IR group, but higher than in blank control group [(0.211 6±0.087 5), (0.354 7±0.077 8), (0.194 1±0.057 4) A,P ＜ 0.01, P ＞ 0.05]; Bcl-2 expression was remarkably higher in intestinal IR group than in blank control group (P ＜ 0.05), but obviously reduced in shenfu injection group compared to intestinal IR group (P ＜ 0.01). ③ TNF content of intestinal mucous membranehomogenate in each group TNF content was remarkably higher in intestinal IR group than in blank control group and shenfu injection group [(189.7±56.3), (38.6±10.4), (47.5±l8.7)mg/L,P ＜ 0.01], and basically the same in shenfu inj~tion group and blank control group (P ＞ 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

Shenfu injection can suppress intestinal epithelial apoptosis by reducing TNF content and caspase-3 e.pression as well as upregulating the expression of Bcl-2 gene during ischemia reperfusion, thereby attenuating ischemia reperfusion injury of intestinal mucous membrane.