Effects of early enteral feeding on intestinal mucosa injury in burned rat

AIM: To analysis the mechanism of early enteral nutrition extenuating the damage of intestinal mucosa in burned rats. METHODS: Lymphatic fistula of intestine was created in Wistar rats, the rats were then sustained with 30 % TBSA third degree scald and divided randomly to early enteral nutrition, non early enteral nutrition and operation control groups. The content of malondialdehyde(MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), endotoxin and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in intestinal lymph and intestinal lymph flow were observed dynamically. RESULTS: After burns the intestinal lymph flow and SOD were significantly decreased(P <0.01); the level of intestinal lymph endotoxin, MDA and TNF were evidently increased (P <0.05). However, the early enteral nutrition could increase the intestinal lymph flow and SOD (P <0.05), decrease the levels of intestinal lymph endotoxin, MDA and TNF (P <0.05). The level of intestinal lymph MDA was positively related to the endotoxin level and the endotoxin level was positively related to the TNF level in early enteral nutrition and simply burn groups. CONCLUSION: Oxygen-derived free radicals are one of the factors of intestinal mucosal damage after burns, and the early enteral nutrition could protect the intestinal mucosal barrier from being injured and inhibit the bacterial trans