Trehalase as a possible marker of intestinal ischemia--reperfusion injury.

BACKGROUND Different pathological affections of the small intestine cause corresponding morphological and functional changes. The present study was aimed to assess intestinal trehalase activities during ischemia and following reperfusion, correlate them with the pathological changes and determine whether trehalase could be used as a biochemical marker of the intestinal ischemia, ischemia - reperfusion injury. MATERIAL AND METHODS Wistar rats, randomly divided into 5 experimental groups (IR) (each n=15), were subjected to one hour mesenteric ischemia followed by 0, 1, 4, 12 and 24 hours of reperfusion. As a control group sham operated animals were used (n=15). The activity of trehalase was determined using an adapted Dahlqwist method. The range of intestinal injury was determined using histological (histopathological injury index and goblet cell quantification) and immunohistochemical (Ki67, InSitu TUNEL) methods. RESULTS The highest activities of trehalase were recorded in the control group (C=4.42 ± 0.373 μmol/mg/h). The most altered intestinal histology detected in group IR1 was accompanied by the lowest trehalase activity (IR1=0.97 ± 0.209 μmol/mg/h; p < 0.001 C vs. IR1). Improved histological structure in the remaining reperfusion periods correlated with increase in trehalase activity. Almost normal mucosal histological architecture and 72% of the enzymatic activity were restored after 24 hours of reperfusion (IR24=3.20 ± 0.266 μmol/mg/h; p < 0.01 IR1 vs. IR24). CONCLUSION The correlation between intestinal histology and trehalase activities during intestinal injury has been shown. Trehalase activity is closely associated with the status of the histological architecture of the small intestine.