ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Necrotizing enterocolitis is a severe multifactorial intestinal disorder that primarily affects preterm newborns, causing 20-40% mortality and morbidity. Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein has been reported to be a biomarker for the detection of intestinal injuries. Our aim was to assess intestinal tissue injury and the molecular expression of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein over time in a necrotizing enterocolitis model. METHODS: A total of 144 Newborn rats were divided into two groups: 1) Control, which received breastfeeding (n=72) and 2) Necrotizing Enterocolitis, which received formula feeding and underwent hypoxia and hypothermia (n=72). A total of six time points of ischemia (2 times a day for 3 days; 12 pups for each time point) were examined. Samples were collected for analysis of body weight, morphological and histological characteristics, intestinal weight, intestinal weight/body weight ratio, injury grade, and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein levels. RESULTS: Body and intestinal weights were lower in the Necrotizing Enterocolitis group than in the Control group (p<0.005 and p<0.0005, respectively). The intestinal weight/body weight ratio was higher in the Necrotizing Enterocolitis group than in the Control group (p<0.005) only at the sixth ischemia time point. The Necrotizing Enterocolitis group displayed higher expression of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (p<0.0005) and showed greater tissue damage than the Control group. CONCLUSION: Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein was an efficient marker of ischemic injury to the intestine and a good correlation was demonstrated between the time of ischemic injury and the grade of intestinal injury.
Subject(s)
Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/metabolism , Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/pathology , Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Ileum/pathology , Animals , Animals, Newborn , Biomarkers/analysis , Blotting, Western , Body Weight , Disease Models, Animal , Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins/analysis , Hypoxia/pathology , Ileum/blood supply , Immunohistochemistry , Ischemia/pathology , Random Allocation , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Reference Values , Severity of Illness Index , Time FactorsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Necrotizing enterocolitis is a severe multifactorial intestinal disorder that primarily affects preterm newborns, causing 20-40% mortality and morbidity. Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein has been reported to be a biomarker for the detection of intestinal injuries. Our aim was to assess intestinal tissue injury and the molecular expression of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein over time in a necrotizing enterocolitis model. METHODS: A total of 144 Newborn rats were divided into two groups: 1) Control, which received breastfeeding (n=72) and 2) Necrotizing Enterocolitis, which received formula feeding and underwent hypoxia and hypothermia (n=72). A total of six time points of ischemia (2 times a day for 3 days; 12 pups for each time point) were examined. Samples were collected for analysis of body weight, morphological and histological characteristics, intestinal weight, intestinal weight/body weight ratio, injury grade, and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein levels. RESULTS: Body and intestinal weights were lower in the Necrotizing Enterocolitis group than in the Control group (p<0.005 and p<0.0005, respectively). The intestinal weight/body weight ratio was higher in the Necrotizing Enterocolitis group than in the Control group (p<0.005) only at the sixth ischemia time point. The Necrotizing Enterocolitis group displayed higher expression of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (p<0.0005) and showed greater tissue damage than the Control group. CONCLUSION: Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein was an efficient marker of ischemic injury to the intestine and a good correlation was demonstrated between the time of ischemic injury and the grade of intestinal injury.
Subject(s)
Animals , Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/metabolism , Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/pathology , Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Ileum/pathology , Reference Values , Time Factors , Severity of Illness Index , Body Weight , Immunohistochemistry , Biomarkers/analysis , Random Allocation , Blotting, Western , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Disease Models, Animal , Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins/analysis , Ileum/blood supply , Ischemia/pathology , Animals, Newborn , Hypoxia/pathologyABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine the expression of hepatic L-FABP and intestinal I-FABP in an experimental model of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in neonatal rats. METHODS: Newborn Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: Control (C1) - exclusive breastfeeding at the first and sixth procedures (C6), NEC1 - fed formula milk and submitted to hypoxia and hypothermia at the first and sixth procedures (NEC6). The newborn pups were fed twice a day for three days, for a total of six procedures. Samples were collected for morphometric evaluation (body weight, liver weight, liver weight/body weight ratio, intestinal weight and intestinal/body weight ratio) and for immunohistochemical and Western blotting analysis. The values obtained were analyzed statistically, with the level of significance set at p<0.05. RESULTS: Morphometric measurements showed reduction of body and liver weights in the NEC group (p<0.05). Both immunohistochemistry and western blotting revealed that L-FABP expression in the liver was decreased and I-FABP expression in the ileum was increased in the NEC group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: L-FABP and I-FABP expression changed inversely in the rat NEC model. These findings can contribute to a better diagnosis of NEC in human newborns.
Subject(s)
Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/metabolism , Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Ileum/metabolism , Liver/metabolism , Animals , Animals, Newborn , Blotting, Western , Body Weight , Disease Models, Animal , Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/pathology , Female , Ileum/pathology , Immunohistochemistry , Liver/pathology , Male , Organ Size , Random Allocation , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Reference ValuesABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine the expression of hepatic L-FABP and intestinal I-FABP in an experimental model of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in neonatal rats. METHODS: Newborn Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: Control (C1) - exclusive breastfeeding at the first and sixth procedures (C6), NEC1 - fed formula milk and submitted to hypoxia and hypothermia at the first and sixth procedures (NEC6). The newborn pups were fed twice a day for three days, for a total of six procedures. Samples were collected for morphometric evaluation (body weight, liver weight, liver weight/body weight ratio, intestinal weight and intestinal/body weight ratio) and for immunohistochemical and Western blotting analysis. The values obtained were analyzed statistically, with the level of significance set at p<0.05. RESULTS: Morphometric measurements showed reduction of body and liver weights in the NEC group (p<0.05). Both immunohistochemistry and western blotting revealed that L-FABP expression in the liver was decreased and I-FABP expression in the ileum was increased in the NEC group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: L-FABP and I-FABP expression changed inversely in the rat NEC model. These findings can contribute to a better diagnosis of NEC in human newborns. .
