OBJECTIVETo investigate the sheltering effects of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω-3PUFA) and lymphatic drainage on distant organs in intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

METHODSForty-eight healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats (SPF grade) were randomly divided into 3 groups (16 rats in each group): normal diet group (N), enteral nutrition group (EN), enteral nutrition and ω-3PUFA group(PUFA group). Each group was divided into lymphatic drainage (I/R + D) group and no-drainage (I/R) group (n = 8). Each rats received gastrostomy. After given different nutrition for five days, the rats subjected to 60 min ischemia and 120 min reperfusion injury of the superior mesenteric artery. When the rats subjected to ischemia-reperfusion injury, drained intestinal lymph for 180 min in the I/R + D group. The serum level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and level of myeloperoxidase (MPO), nitric oxide (NO), total of nitric oxide synthase (tNOS), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) of lung were detected. The organ injury of lung and liver and the expression of high mobility group box 1(HMGB1, the endogenous ligand of TLR4) in these organs were investigated too.

RESULTSThe serum level of ALT in PUFA I/R + D and I/R group and EN I/R + D group were significantly lower than that in normal diet I/R group: (46 ± 20), (53 ± 15), (46 ± 21) and (100 ± 60) U/L (P < 0.05), respectively. The level of MPO, NO, tNOS, iNOS in lung in the I/R + D group were significantly lower than those in I/R group (P < 0.05): MPO (0.73 ± 0.15):(0.85 ± 0.10) unit/grams wet slice; NO (0.72 ± 0.51):(1.79 ± 1.32) µmol/gprot; tNOS (0.46 ± 0.15):(0.78 ± 0.27) U/mgprot; iNOS (0.06 ± 0.04):(0.11 ± 0.07) U/mgprot, respectively. The level of tNOS in PUFA I/R group was significantly lower than that in normal diet I/R group: (0.56 ± 0.13):(0.78 ± 0.27) U/mgprot (P < 0.05). MPO, NO, INOS levels in PUFA group were reduced compared with those in EN and normal diet group. HE stained sections and HMGB1 immunohistochemistry results showed that the organ injury in I/R group was severer than that in I/R + D group. The expression of HMGB1 increased in I/R group. The organ injury and the expression of HMGB1 in PUFA group were less than that in the other two main groups.

CONCLUSIONSLymphatic drainage can alleviate injury of distant organs after intestinal ischemia-reperfusion in rats. ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can increase body resistance to injury and promote recovery.