Original Articles
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2000. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 15, 2000; 6(1): 79-83
Published online Feb 15, 2000. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v6.i1.79
Protective effect of early enteral feeding on postburn impairment of liver function and its mechanism in rats
Li Zhu, Zhong-Cheng Yang, Ao Li, De-Chang Cheng
Li Zhu, Zhong-Cheng Yang, Ao Li, Institute of Burn Research, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
De-Chang Cheng, Critical Care Department, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Chinese Academy of Medical science (CAMS), Beijing 100730, China
Li Zhu, male, born on 1958-02-03 in Nanyang City, Henan Province, Han nationality, graduated from Third Military Medical University as a doctor-d egree postgraduate in 1996 and now working in PUMCH as a postdoctoral research fellow, majoring in Traumatic Surgery and Critical Care Medicine, having 17 paper s published.
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Li Zhu, Institute of Burn Research, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. zhuli58@263.net
Telephone: +86-10-65233768, +86-10-65142049
Received: July 21, 1999
Revised: September 22, 1999
Accepted: October 10, 1999
Published online: February 15, 2000
Abstract

AIM: To study the protective effect of early enteral feeding (EEF) on the postburn impairment of liver function and its mechanism.

METHODS: Wistar rats with 30% of total body surface area (TBSA) full-thickness burn were employed. The effects of EEF on the postburn changes of gastric intramucosal pH, endotoxin levels in portal vein, water contents of hepatic tissue, blood concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), plasma activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and asparate amin otransferase (AST), as well as the blood contents of total (TB) and direct bilirubin (DB), total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) were serially determined within 48 h postburn.

RESULTS: EEF could significantly improve gastric mucosalacidos is, reduce portal vein endotoxin level and water content of hepatic tissue, as w ell as plasma concentrations of TNF-α at all timepoints after seve re burns (P < 0.01); postburn elevation of the plasma activities of ALT, AST and the contents of TB, DB were effectively prevented, whereas the plasma conce ntrations of TP and ALB were markedly increased 24 h and 48 h posturn in EEF group compared with that of the burn without EEF group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: EEF has significant beneficial effects on the impro vement of hepatic function in rats after severe burn, and is probably related with an increase in splanchnic blood flow, reduction of the absorption of gut-origin endotoxin and the consequent release of inflammatory mediators.

Keywords: early enteral feeding; liver; postburn impa irments