OBJECTIVETo evaluate the protective effect of ischemic preconditioning against cold ischemia and reperfusion injury of rat intestinal graft following orthotopic transplantation.

METHODSEighty SD rats were randomly assigned into two groups with and without ischemic preconditioning, and each group was divided into 4 subgroups (n=10) according to the intestinal graft cold ischemia time of 3, 6, 12, and 18 h, respectively. Ischemic preconditioning model was established, and the small intestinal graft was preserved at 4 degrees celsius; in Ringer lactate solution for the corresponding time, followed by orthotopic transplantation of the graft. The graft samples were collected for histological examination 1 h after reperfusion, and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) expression in the epithelial cells was detected.

RESULTSIschemia preconditioning obviously relieved the histological ischemia/reperfusion injury, as shown by regular alignment of the small intestinal villi, alleviated muscular layer edema and decreased expression of NF-kappaB in the epithelia of the graft in groups with cold preservation.

CONCLUSIONIschemic preconditioning can protect the intestinal graft from cold ischemia/reperfusion injury, and NF-kappaB is an important cytokine in ischemia preconditioning.