The use of biochemical parameters for a qualitative and quantitative assessment of ischemic damage to the small-intestinal mucosa

Abstract

Lactate dehydrogenase has been measured in the small-intestinal mucosa in order to assess its value as a marker for the effects of ischemia and of reperfusion. The decrease in specific activity of the enzyme illustrates the deleterious effect of reperfusion on the quality of the remaining epithelial cells. However, this parameter fails to detect the loss of epithelial cells, which is the major event during ischemia as well as during reperfusion. In contrast, the expression of enzyme activity per g protein of the underlying intestinal muscle allowed us, in addition, to assess quantitatively the loss of epithelial cells, in good agreement with the histological data.