Published online Feb 15, 2000. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v6.i1.79
Revised: September 22, 1999
Accepted: October 10, 1999
Published online: February 15, 2000
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.