Role of electrical stimulation of S_3 nerve root in improvement of intestinal mucosal barrier function after acute complete spinal cord injury in rabbits / 中华创伤杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effect of electrical stimulation of S_3 nerve root on improvement of intestinal mucosal barrier function in rabbits with acute complete spinal cord injury. Methods Model of paraplegia was built by injuring spinal cord in rabbits. Then, the rabbits with electrical stimulation of S_3 nerve root were set as experimental group and those without set as control group. Normal rabbits were set as normal group. Under aseptic condition, portal vein blood was collected for quantitative determination of endotoxin and bacterial culture ; and liver, spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes were collected for bacterial culture and strain identification. Liver, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes and small intestines were collected from experimental group and control group for pathological HE staining; while small intestine were observed by light and electron microscopes. Results In control group, the intestinal mueosal barrier and the other organs were destroyed obviously, with higher level of Serum endotoxin and higher rate intestinal flora translocation than that in experimental group and normal group. In the experimental group, the electrical stimulation of S_3 nerve root could improve motility of the denervated intestine, with more defecation content, less destruction of the intestinal mucosa and lighter other organ damage compared with control group, serum endotoxin level was significantly reduced compared with control group but showed no statistical difference compared with normal group, with obvious decrease of bacterial translocation rate. Conclusions After spinal cord injury in rabbits, electrical stimulation of S_3 nerve root can facilitate intestinal tract motility, improve intestinal mucosal barrier function and hence alleviate endotoxemia and intestinal bacterial translocation, as is beneficial to reducing SIRS and MOBS.