Background: The purpose of this study was to study the impact of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) on the intestine.
Materials and methods: One hundred and twenty Sprague-Daley rats were divided into four groups. In the ACS group, the intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) was increased to 20 mmHg. In the ACS/DE group, increased IAP was followed by decompression. In the control1 and control2 groups, the IAP remained unchanged. Malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzymes of the intestine were measured. Additionally, ileal tissues were obtained for histopathological examinations and apoptosis detection. Liver, spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes were obtained for microbiological analysis.
Results: In the presence of IAH, MDA and MPO were increased, while GSH and GSH-Px were decreased. Microbiological analysis suggested bacterial translocation across the gut. Morphological examinations indicated that the Chiu's score and apoptotic index in the ACS/DE group were the highest in the four groups.
Conclusions: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the intestinal damage and bacterial translocation in abdominal compartment syndrome. Additionally, the influence of oxygen free radicals occurs mainly during the period of reperfusion rather than during the IAH period.