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World J Gastroenterol. Jan 14, 2011; 17(2): 213-218
Published online Jan 14, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i2.213
Hemolysis results in impaired intestinal microcirculation and intestinal epithelial cell injury
Sebastiaan J Hanssen, Tim Lubbers, Caroline M Hodin, Frits W Prinzen, Wim A Buurman, Michael J Jacobs
Sebastiaan J Hanssen, Tim Lubbers, Caroline M Hodin, Wim A Buurman, Michael J Jacobs, Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Sebastiaan J Hanssen, Frits W Prinzen, Michael J Jacobs, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Center, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Sebastiaan J Hanssen, Michael J Jacobs, European Vascular Center Aachen-Maastricht, Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Aachen, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Tim Lubbers, Caroline M Hodin, Wim A Buurman, Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Center, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Frits W Prinzen, Department of Physiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Author contributions: Hanssen SJ, Lubbers T, Prinzen FW, Buurman WA and Jacobs MJ designed the study; Hanssen SJ, Lubbers T and Hodin CM performed the experiments; Prinzen FW, Buurman WA and Jacobs MJ provided financial support; Hanssen SJ, Lubbers T, Hodin CM and Prinzen FW analyzed the data; Hanssen SJ wrote the manuscript; Lubbers T, Hodin CM, Prinzen FW, Buurman WA and Jacobs MJ were involved in editing the manuscript.
Supported by The Profileringsfonds of the Maastricht University Medical Center (to Jacobs MJ and Buurman WA); and an AGIKO-stipendium 920-03-522 (to Lubbers T) from The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development
Correspondence to: Dr. Wim A Buurman, Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. w.buurman@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Telephone: +31-43-3881499 Fax: +31-43-3884154
Received: May 17, 2010
Revised: October 19, 2010
Accepted: October 26, 2010
Published online: January 14, 2011
AIM: To study the effect of circulating cell-free oxyhemoglobin (FHb) on intestinal microcirculation and intestinal epithelial injury in a rat model.
METHODS: To induce elevated intravascular circulating FHb, male Sprague-Dawley rats received water or FHb infusion. Microcirculatory changes in jejunum, ileum and colon were evaluated using fluorescent microspheres. Intestinal injury was quantified as plasmatic release of ileal lipid binding protein (iLBP) and verified by histological analysis of the ileum.
RESULTS: Water and FHb infusions resulted, when compared with saline infusion, in reduced intestinal microcirculation (after 30 min P < 0.05, or better; after 60 min FHb infusion P < 0.05 for jejunum and colon). Circulating FHb levels correlated significantly with release of iLBP (Spearman r = 0.72, P = 0.0011). Epithelial cell injury of the villi was histologically observed after water and FHb infusions.
CONCLUSION: This study shows that circulating FHb leads to a reduction in intestinal microcirculatory blood flow with marked injury to intestinal epithelial cells. These data support the hypothesis that circulating FHb contributes to the development of intestinal injury.
