High-fat enteral nutrition reduces intestinal mucosal barrier damage after peritoneal air exposure.

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal air exposure is needed in open abdominal surgery, but long-time exposure could induce intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction followed by many postoperative complications. High-fat enteral nutrition can ameliorate intestinal injury and improve intestinal function in many gastrointestinal diseases. In the present study, we investigated the effect of high-fat enteral nutrition on intestinal mucosal barrier after peritoneal air exposure and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Male adult rats were administrated saline, low-fat or high-fat enteral nutrition via gavage before and after peritoneal air exposure for 3 h. Rats undergoing anesthesia without laparotomy received saline as control. Twenty four hours after surgery, samples were collected to assess intestinal mucosal barrier changes in serum D-lactate levels, intestinal permeability, intestinal tight junction protein ZO-1 and occludin levels, and intestinal histopathology. The levels of malondialdehyde and the activity of superoxide dismutase in the ileum tissue were also measured to assess the status of intestinal oxidative stress. RESULTS: High-fat enteral nutrition significantly decreased the serum D-lactate level and increased the intestinal tight junction protein ZO-1 level when compared to the group treated with low-fat enteral nutrition (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, histopathologic findings showed that the intestinal mucosal injury assessed by the Chiu's score and the intestinal epithelial tight junction were also improved much more in the high-fat enteral nutrition-treated group (P < 0.05). In addition, the intestinal malondialdehyde level was lower, and the intestinal superoxide dismutase activity was higher in the high-fat enteral nutrition-treated group than that in the low-fat enteral nutrition-treated group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that high-fat enteral nutrition could reduce intestinal mucosal barrier damage after peritoneal air exposure, and the underlying mechanism may be associated with its antioxidative action. Perioperative administration of high-fat enteral nutrition may be a promising intervention to preserve intestinal mucosal barrier function in open abdominal surgery.

High-fat enteral nutrition controls intestinal inflammation and improves intestinal motility after peritoneal air exposure.

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal air exposure is a common phenomenon in abdominal surgery, but long-term exposure could induce intestinal inflammatory responses, resulting in delayed recovery of gastrointestinal motility after surgery. High-fat enteral nutrition has been reported to ameliorate inflammation in many diseases. In the present study, we investigated whether high-fat enteral nutrition could control intestinal inflammation and improve intestinal motility after peritoneal air exposure. METHODS: Male adult rats were administrated saline, low-fat enteral nutrition, or high-fat enteral nutrition via gavage before and after peritoneal air exposure for 3 h. Control rats underwent anesthesia without laparotomy and received saline. Intestinal motility was assessed 24 h after surgery by charcoal transport assay; systemic inflammation was assessed by analyzing serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and IL-10; and intestinal inflammation was assessed by analyzing myeloperoxidase activity and concentrations and gene expression of tumor necrosis factor α, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-10 in the intestinal tissue. RESULTS: Peritoneal air exposure decreased intestinal motility significantly compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The systemic and intestinal inflammatory parameters were also much higher in the peritoneal air exposure groups than in the control group. Both low-fat and high-fat enteral nutrition increased intestinal motility and reduced systemic and intestinal inflammatory parameter levels to different degrees. However, high-fat enteral nutrition significantly improved the negative alterations in these biochemical parameters compared with low-fat enteral nutrition (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that high-fat enteral nutrition might be able to control intestinal inflammation and improve intestinal motility after peritoneal air exposure. Thus, the perioperative administration of high-fat enteral nutrition may be a promising treatment to enhance the recovery of intestinal motility after surgery.