The administration of ghrelin improved hepatocellular injury following parenteral feeding in a rat model of short bowel syndrome.

Purpose: Long-term parenteral nutrition following massive bowel resection causes liver dysfunction, such as intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD). IFALD includes two different states, cholestasis and steatosis, which represents a life-threatening complication. The previous reports have shown the protective role of ghrelin in the liver. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the administration of ghrelin in the liver in a parenterally fed rat model of short bowel syndrome (SBS).
Methods: Rats underwent jugular vein catheterization, and were divided into three groups: 90 % small bowel resection (90 % SBR) and TPN (SBS/TPN group), 90 % SBR and TPN plus ghrelin (SBS/TPN/ghrelin group), and sham operation with normal chow (sham group). Ghrelin was administered continuously at a dose of 10 μg/kg/day. On day 13, all rats were euthanized. The serum chemistry was analyzed, the lipid content of the liver was measured, and the liver tissue was histologically analyzed.
Result: The AST and LDH levels significantly increased, and the accumulation of lipids in the liver was observed in the TPN/SBS group. The accumulation of lipids in the liver of the rats in the SBS/TPN group was attenuated by the administration of ghrelin.
Conclusion: The administration of ghrelin has a therapeutic potential for IFALD.