UROGASTRONE REDUCES GUT ATROPHY DURING PARENTERAL-ALIMENTATION

Urogastrone (UG) exerts trophic effects on the intestine and may play a role in maintaining normal intestinal structure and function. Since administration of nutrients parenterally results in intestinal hypoplasia and hypofunction, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of UG on intestinal structure and function in parenterally fed rats. Central venous catheters were placed into 28 Sprague-Dawley rats. Group I (n = 10) received TPN alone. Group II (n = 8) received TPN and 15 μg/day of UG and group III (n = 10) received rat chow ad libitum. The animals that received urogastrone had significantly greater (p < 0.05) intestinal weight (25.6 ± 2.5 mg/cm us 22.6 ± 3.0 mg/cm), mucosal weight (8.4 + 1.4 mg/cm us 6.2 ± 0.9 mg/cm), mucosal protein content (6.2 ±1.7 mg/ cm us 2.7 ± 0.6 mg/cm), villous height (427 ± 27 μm us 293 ± 75 μm), crypt cell production rate (14.5 ± 1.4 metaphases/hr us 12.3 ± 0.7 metaphases/hr) and sucrase specific activity (6.5 ± 2.6 us 3.7 ± 2.0) than animals receiving only TPN. However, these parameters remained less than in chow-fed animals. Thus, simultaneous infusion of UG prevents, in part, intestinal hypofunction and hypoplasia which occurs during TPN. This may be due to maintenance of mucosal proliferative activity and brush border enzyme activity. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 14:283-286, 1990). © 1990, American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. All rights reserved.