PubMed1990
Heterotopic and orthotopic small-bowel allotransplantation was carried out in Wistar rats using grafts reduced to one-half of the original length. Portocaval venous anastomoses and intestinal end-to-end anastomoses were performed. Animals either with complete or with partially reduced native small-bowel served as control. In a total of 51 rats, 88 quantitative in vivo measurements of apparent digestion and absorption of dietary dry matter, organic matter, energy, protein, fat, total ash, and glucose were carried out. Body protein retention was calculated from intake and losses with feces and urine. The digestion trials comprised 8 days of adaptation and 10 days of continual recording of nutrient balance data. In experiments 1 and 2, digestibility coefficients were obtained before and after transplantation within the same animals, untreated or initially treated with cyclosporine A after surgery. Similar groups of rats untreated, with partial resection and with transplantation of the small-bowel, followed by temporary cyclosporine treatment, were used in experiment 3. In experiment 4, rats with transplanted intestines from experiments 1 and 2 were subjected to a further digestion trial 4 to 6 months after the respective first trial. With transplantation of the small intestine, apparent digestion and absorption of nutrients, as well as protein retention, tended to be lower. Significant depression occurred in the digestion of fat and ash. In long-term survivors all parameters decreased further. The adverse effects on fat and ash digestion seemed to be pronounced when rejection occurred. Fecal fat excretion might therefore be an indication of dysfunction of small-bowel grafts. Digestion was less imparied if cyclosporine was applied, and part of the effects on digestion and protein balance could be attributed to the shortened bowel.