OBJECTIVETo explore the influence of glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) on the proliferation of the intestinal mucosal cells in scalded rats.

METHODSFifty-five Wistar rats were employed in the study and were randomly divided into normal control (C), simple scald (S) and scald with GLP-2 treatment (G) groups. The rats in G group received GLP-2 introperitoneally in a dose of 200 micro g/kg two times a day. The rats in S and G groups were sacrificed at 6 postburn hours (PBHs), 12 PBHs, 1 postburn day (PBD1), PBD3 and PBD5 and the rats in C group were also sacrificed. Plasma diamine oxidase (DAO) activity, cell cycle protein cyclin D expression and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in all groups were determined. And the histological change in the intestinal mucosal tissue was observed simultaneously. with all the above determinations.

RESULTSCompared with those in C group, the PCNA expression at 6 and 12 PBHs in S group was enhanced slightly and weakened at PBD1, reaching the lowest level at PBD3 and it was still lower than that in C group at PBD5. Changes in PCNA in G group were similar to that in S group, except that the expression at PBD3 and PBD5 was stronger than that in S group. The intestinal mucosal cyclin D protein expression was increased at 6 and 12 PBHs in S group, but decreased by 40% before injury at PBD1. Nevertheless, the cyclin D protein expression in G group was much higher than that in S group at PBD1, PBD3 and PBD5. The plasma DAO activity increased significantly in rats after burn injury. But the activity decreased obviously after GLP-2 treatment for 5 days (P < 0.01). It was observed histologically in G group that the lining of Exogenous intestinal villi was regular and well arranged without evident epithelial exfoliation.

CONCLUSIONExogenous GLP-2 might ameliorate intestinal mucosal injury in scalded rats, and promotion of the expression of PCNA and cyclin D, resulting in proliferation of injured intestinal mucosal cells, might be the underlying mechanisms.