The Inflammation in the Gut After Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Background: Gastrointestinal dysfunction could be frequently observed in the patients suffering from SAH. This study test the hypothesis that experimental SAH could induce histopathological changes and inflammatory response associating with NF-κB activation pathway in the gut. Materials and methods: A total of 17 rabbits were randomly divided into two groups: control group (n = 8) and SAH group (n = 9). In the SAH group, the animals were subjected to experimental SAH according to the “two-hemorrhage” method. The histopathological study was performed to detect the intestinal mucosal morphological changes and immunohistochemical study was used to detect the TNF-α and ICAM-1 expressions. NF-κB binding activity was measured using the electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Results: It was demonstrated that some damage changes and leukocytes infiltration occurred in the intestinal mucosa after SAH. More positive cells for TNF-α and ICAM-1 were observed in the SAH group. The NF-κB binding activity in the intestines was significantly increased in the SAH group (P < 0.01). Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that SAH in the rabbits could induce NF-κB and proinflammatory cytokines activation in the intestine, which is associated with morphological changes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]