ISSN : 2146-3123
E-ISSN : 2146-3131

The Effects of Apelin on Mesenteric Ischemia and Reperfusion Damage in an Experimental Rat Model
Tamer Sağıroğlu 1, Serhat Oğuz 1, Gönül Sağıroğlu 2, Tulin Yalta 3, Mustafa Burak Sayhan 4, Mehmet Ali Yağcı 5
1Department of General Surgery, Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Edirne, Turkey
2Sağlık Bakanlığı Süreyyapaşa Göğüs Hastalıkları ve Göğüs Cerrahisi Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Anesteziyoloji ve Reanimasyon Kliniği, İstanbul, Turkey
3Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
4Department of Emergency, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
5Trakya Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Genel Cerrahi Anabilim Dalı, Edirne
DOI : 10.5152/balkanmedj.2011.036
Pages : 148-152

Abstract

Objective: Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. There is ongoing research to find an effective preventive or treatment agent. We aimed to evaluate the effects of apelin 13 (AP) on intestinal I/R injury in a rat model.

Material and Methods: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 6-8 weeks and weighing 280±20 g were equally divided into three groups (control, I/R and I/R+AP). The control group underwent superior mesenteric artery (SMA) mobilization alone without any clamping. In the I/R and I/R+AP groups, an atraumatic microvascular bulldog clamp was placed across the SMA at its point of origin from the aorta. In the I/R+AP group, 2 μg/kg/d apelin was administered intraperitoneally. After 60 minutes of ischemia, relaparotomy was performed to remove the microvascular clamp on the SMA for 3 hours of reperfusion. After 3 hours, tissue samples were obtained for biochemical [malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels] and histopathological analyses.

Results: MDA levels were significantly higher in the I/R group compared to the control group. Although MDA levels were lower in the I/R+AP group compared tothe I/R group, the difference was not statistically significant. There was also no significant difference between the I/R+AP and I/R groups regarding GSH levels. The median histopathological grade was significantly lower in the I/R+AP group compared to the I/R group (p=0.001).

Conclusion: Apelin appeared to have a positive effect on oxidative injury; this did not reach statistical significance. Thus, the role of apelin and associated findings in the initial treatment of intestinal ischemia needs further large-scale animal studies before human use.

Keywords : Apelin, mesenteric ischemia, reperfusion injury
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