Enteral antioxidants in ischemia/reperfusion injuries in rats.

Objective: To evaluate the role of pre-treatment with dietary antioxidants in an experimental model of intestinal injury of ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats.

Methods: Ninety adult male Wistar rats were used. An intestinal segment was isolated based on its vascular pedicle. A control biopsy was performed and the pedicle was sectioned and sutured again, ensuring a time of 60 minutes of ischemia followed by reperfusion. Sequential biopsies were performed at the end of the ischemic period and every 15 minutes during reperfusion. The treatment consisted of saline, vitamin C, vitamin E or a combination of the latter two. Quantitative and qualitative assessments of the biopsies were performed.

Results: The groups treated with vitamin E alone or vitamin E combined with vitamin C showed a statistically significant attenuation of ischemia-reperfusion, with reduced loss of height of the villi and lower neutrophilic infiltration at the end of the study when compared to the control and vitamin C-exclusive groups.

Conclusion: In this experimental model of ischemia-reperfusion, pre-treatment with vitamin E attenuated the I/R injury in the small intestine of Rats, demonstrated by reduced loss of height of the villi and the attenuation of neutrophil infiltration.