OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of glucagon- like peptide 2 on intestinal mucosa immunity after ischemia/reperfusion injury and explore the possible mechanisms.

METHODSA total of 70 ICR mice were randomly divided into three groups including normal control group(N), I/R group(C) and GLP-2 treatment group(T) (treated with GLP-2,200 microg/kg). The mice were sacrificed on the 1st, 3rd and 5th day after I/R injury. Liver,spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes samples were collected for bacterial culture. The endotoxin levels in plasma were also measured. Small intestine washing were obtained for IgA and the intestine homogenized were analyzed for Th1/Th2 cytokines.

RESULTSThe rate of bacterial translocation and the level of endotoxin in group C were significant higher than those in group T and group N. The IgA level in the lavage of the intestine was significantly decreased on the 1st day after I/R in group C and T compared with that in group N, while there was no difference between group C and T. The IgA level increased on the 3rd day and returned to normal on the 5th day after I/R in group T, while that in group C was still lower than normal. In group C, the levels of Th1-type (IL-2 and IFN-gamma) cytokines increased, the levels of Th2-type (IL-4 and IL-10) decreased significantly on the 1st day and then increased gradually. The change pattern of cytokines levels in group T resembled that in group C, but the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 in group T returned to normal on the 5th day after I/R.

CONCLUSIONSGLP-2 supplementation can partly protect the intestinal mucosal immunity. The mechanism may probably be related to the restitution of the balance of Th1/Th2 cytokines in the intestinal mucosa in mice.