Ex vivo vascular perfusion of the isolated rat small bowel. Importance of the intestinal brush border enzyme-release in basal conditions.

The vascular perfusion of the whole isolated intestine of the rat with homologous non-diluted blood is compared with classical in vivo experiments. During a 2 1/2-hour perfusion procedure no significant difference was noted between the two experimental schedules as far as haemodynamic, histological, mechanical and/or electrical activities of the gut are concerned. However, striking changes in the intestinal brush border enzyme output within the lumen appear between ex vivo and in vivo experiments.