Effect of Artificial Valves on Intestinal Adaptation in the Short-Bowel Syndrome: An Integrated Study of Morphological and Functional Changes in Rats.

Two-third-resections of the proximal or distal small bowel with and without artificial valves were performed in rats. Intestinal adaptation led to a significant increase in bowel diameter, villus height and villus diameter and consequently in absorptive mucosal surface area per unit of serosal area. Additional artificial valve construction did not affect the calculated mucosal surface area after proximal resection, while it significantly decreased the absorptive area by the occurrence of large, plump villi after distal resection. There was no change in small-intestinal absorption of water, glucose and electrolytes per unit mucosa with valve construction. DNA cytometry showed that artificial valves led to mucosal hyperplasia without hypertrophy. These morphological changes coincided with a significant increase in basal and stimulated gastrin release. The body weight was unchanged or even worse in the valve groups than after resection alone, despite a significantly prolonged transit time. Therefore, in our study, artificial valves did not result in functional improvements after small intestinal resections.Copyright © 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]