[An experimental study on the relationship between the extracellular matrix and apoptosis of intestinal epithelium after burn injury].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between the extracellular matrix and apoptosis of intestinal epithelium after burn injury. METHODS: Thirty Wistar rats were employed in the study and were randomly divided into normal control (C) and 6 PBH (postburn hour), 12 PBH, 1 PBD (postburn day), 3 PBD and 5 PBD group with 5 rats in each group. The rats in burn groups were sacrificed at 0, 6 and 12 PBHs and 1, 3 and 5 PBDs. The apoptotic cell count and the caspases-3 activity of intestinal mucosal epithelium, and the extracellular matrix component laminin and type IV collagen were determined and their correlation was analyzed. RESULTS: The apoptotic cell count and the caspases-3 activity of intestinal mucosal epithelium in burn groups were obviously higher than those in C group (P < 0.05 or 0.01), while the intestinal mucosal contents of laminin and type IV collagen in burned groups were much lower than those in C group (P < 0.05 or 0.01). By linear correlative analysis, it was shown that the changes in the intestinal mucosal contents of laminin and type IV collagen in burned groups were negatively correlated with the change in apoptotic cell count (r = -0.575, -0.613, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Intestinal epithelial apoptosis was enhanced after burn injury, and it was correlated with the change in the components of the extracellular matrix.