Source of net water and electrolyte loss following intestinal ischaemia

Summary

Ischaemia of the dog intestine lasting 1 h causes desquamation of the epithelium at the villus tips and congestion in the villus capillaries. The crypt cells are relatively undamaged. These changes are associated with a loss of active transport of organic solutes, determined in vitro, a reduction in mucosal sucrase activity and an abolition of glucose absorption in vivo. A profuse net loss of water and electrolytes into the lumen in vivo develops. The net sodium loss is due primarily to an inhibition of the lumen-blood flux of this ion, the blood-lumen flux being relatively unchanged. In uraemic dogs, the loss of urea into the lumen is the same in control and ischaemic loops, testifying to the lack of change in the unidirectional water flow from blood to lumen.

Perfusion of the dog intestine with 1% Triton X-100 leads to morphological changes that have certain similarities with those provoked by ischaemia. Damage was restricted to the villus tips, protection from further alterations apparently being provided by a mucus layer that forms on the mucosal surface; the crypt region remained unchanged. After 10 min exposure, organic solute transport in vitro and glucose absorption in vivo were both reduced but not abolished; sodium and water absorption in vivo were suppressed, but no net secretion occurred.

To account for these observations, we have suggested that the normal crypt cell is a secretory element with respect to sodium and water. During maturation, its absorptive properties develop such that the mature enterocyte, possessing both absorptive and secretory mechanisms, is capable of net absorption of sodium. After destruction of the villus tips, net secretion continues in the crypts; if there are insufficient villus cells remaining to ensure reabsorption, a net secretory capacity is observed.