Intraperitoneal 1.5% Delflex improves intestinal blood flow in necrotizing enterocolitis.

Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) alters intestinal microvascular control mechanisms causing significant vasoconstriction. Our prior work with intraperitoneal 2.5% dextrose solution demonstrated increased intestinal perfusion in experimentally induced NEC. In the current study, we examine whether a buffered solution with lower glucose and osmolar loads similarly increases intestinal blood flow. We hypothesized that buffered 1.5% dextrose solution would increase ileal blood flow compared with baseline in NEC.

Methods: We randomly assigned pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats to control (n = 103) or NEC (n = 123) groups, by litter. We induced NEC by previously published methods. Control pups were vaginally delivered and dam-fed. We used laser Doppler flowmetry to evaluate perfusion in the terminal ileum at 12, 24, 48, 72, or 96 h after delivery at baseline and after application of topical 1.5% dextrose solution. We evaluated differences between groups and time points by analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc test.

Results: Baseline blood flow in the terminal ileum increased with gestational age in both groups (P < 0.05). Control groups had significantly greater baseline blood flow than NEC groups (P < 0.05), and topical application of buffered 1.5% dextrose solution increased blood flow compared with baseline in both groups at all time points (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Topical 1.5% dextrose solution significantly enhanced blood flow in the terminal ileum to the same degree as 2.5% dextrose solution. Thus, the use of buffered 1.5% dextrose solution might be more beneficial in treating clinical NEC, because it places a lower glucose and osmotic load on NEC-injured intestine.