[State of the mucus membrane of the small intestine in upper intestinal fistulas].

In modeled experiments of 23 polyfistulous dogs with a reproduced high complete small-intestine fistula it was established that enteral compensation of water-electrolyte losses by means of a saline solution, isotonic and isoionic to the chyme, contributed to the maintenance of the water-salt balance for a prolonged period of time, kept up the animals' life and ensured the return to normalcy following the closure of the fistula. Preservation of the function of absorption by the small intestine was confirmed by the data of morphological investigations of 403 bioptic specimens of the mucosa from various parts of the small intestine repitedly taken in the course of the experiments. The data obtained testify to the absence of atrophy of villi and nakedness of their stroma, despite the intravital detachment of the epithelium into the lumen of the intestine, as well as to hyperproduction of the mucus, dilatation of the vessels of the circulatory and lymphatic systems, to retention of the mitotic activity.