The jejunoileal bypass provokes morphological changes in the large intestine? An experimental study in rats.

Purpose: To analyse histopathological alterations characterized by the mitotic index in the mucosa of the large intestine in Wistar rats submitted to jejunoileal bypass operation after continued administration of sodium nitrite and vitamin C to different groups.
Methods: Eighty male Wistar rats were employed and separated into 12 groups. In the control group (20 rats): five animals ingested only water; five animals received vitamin C; five animals received sodium nitrite and five received sodium nitrite + vitamin C. In the sham group (20 rats), the animals were anesthetized and underwent midline laparotomy and only intestinal manipulation was performed: five animals ingested only water; five animals received vitamin C; five animals received sodium nitrite and five received sodium nitrite + vitamin C. In the operated group 40 rats underwent a jejunoileal bypass surgery: ten animals ingested only water; ten animals received vitamin C; ten animals received sodium nitrite and ten received sodium nitrite + vitamin C. The mean weight of the animals was measured weekly. The large intestine was subdivided into cecum (S1), ascending colon (S(2)), transverse colon (S(3)), descending colon (S(4)) and rectum (S(5)) for histopathological analysis and mitotic counts. The statistical analysis was used to compare the mitotic indices. The level of significance was 5%.
Results: The mean of all the segments indicates that the sodium nitrite+vitamin C group obtained the lowest mitotic index compared to the other treatments in the control group. The segments S(1) and S(2) showed a statistical difference with the vitamin C treatment: a higher mitotic index and better preservation of the mucosa in the operated group. In the sham group the main statistical difference occurred only in the sodium nitrite+vitamin C group between the means of the segments.
Conclusions: The comparison of all the colonic segments of the various groups revealed a lower mitotic index in the animals treated with sodium nitrite+vitamin C. In addition, it was found that vitamin C did not present a statistically significant inhibiting effect on the preservation of the mucosa and the mitotic index.