OBJECTIVETo observe the influence of rhubarb on gastrointestinal motility and intestinal mucosal barrier in patients with severe burn.

METHODSThirty patients with severe burn admitted to our burn wards within 48 hours after burn injury from December 2009 to December 2010 were divided into therapeutic group (T, treated with 10 g rhubarb by nasal feeding and 5 g L-glutamine by oral administration beginning from 6 hours after admission, three times per day, and also given enteral nutrition beginning from 24 hours after admission, n = 16) and control group (C, received the same treatment as used in T group but without rhubarb, n = 14) according to the random number table. Gastrointestinal function indexes including restoration of bowel sound within 24 hours, abdominal distension, tolerance to enteral nutrition, and defecation were observed after treatment. The serum samples were harvested on post burn day (PBD) 3, 7, 14 for determination of the levels of gastrin (GAS) by radioimmunoassay, motilin (MTL) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, diamine oxidase (DAO) by enzyme spectrophotometry, and endotoxin (ET) by kinetic turbidimetric assay with TAL. Data were processed with t test and chi-square test.

RESULTSCompared with those in C group, the numbers of patients with restoration of bowel sound within 24 hours and tolerance to enteral nutrition in T group were increased (with chi2 value respectively 5.01, 4.84, P values all below 0.05), the number of patients with abdominal distension was decreased (chi2 = 4.84, P = 0.025). Compared with those of C group, defecation time was earlier, number of bowel movement was increased with soft feces in patients of T group. The serum levels of GAS in T group on PBD 3, 7, 14 [ (92 +/- 26), (95 +/- 16), (98 +/- 18) ng/L] were significantly higher than those in C group [(80 +/- 15), (75 +/- 17), (79 +/- 13) ng/L, with t value respectively 15.352, 22.951, 19.263, P values all below 0.01]. The serum levels of MTL in T group on PBD 3, 7, 14 [(246 +/- 80), (299 +/- 76), (300 +/- 100) ng/L] were significantly higher than those in C group [(189 +/- 44), (203 +/- 64), (200 +/- 67) ng/L, with t value respectively 14.173, 19.294, 26.298, P values all below 0.01]. The serum levels of ET in T group on PBD 3, 7, 14 [(0.398 +/- 0.035), (0.373 +/- 0.005), (0.238 +/- 0.019) EU/mL] were significantly lower than those in C group [(0.493 +/- 0.043), (0.501 +/- 0.045), (0.423 +/- 0.099) EU/mL, with t value respectively 6.213, 9.153, 15.134, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01]. The serum levels of DAO in T group on PBD 3, 7 [ (3.0 +/- 0.4), (2.9 +/- 0.5) U/mL] were significantly lower than those in C group [(3.9 +/- 0.5), (3.6 +/- 0.6) U/mL, with t value respectively 3.982, 4.236, P values all below 0.05], and there was no obvious difference between T and C groups on PBD 14 (t = 1.762, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSRhubarb can protect intestinal mucosal barrier in patients with severe burn through increasing secretion of gastrointestinal hormones and promoting restoration of gastrointestinal motility.