Comparative effect of growth hormone and plerocercoid growth factor in the intestinal resection in rat

OBJECTIVE: After massive bowel resection, absorption depends on how fast the mucosal adaptation takes place. This work aims at assessing the trophic effect of growth hormone (GH) and its analogue, the plerocercoid growth factor (PGF), on the intestinal mucosa after 90% small bowel resection. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: 24 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of 6: Control (laparotomy), 90% small bowel resection (RID), resection and treatment with GH during 14 days (RID + GH) and resection and PGF treatment (RID + PGF). Intestinal mucosal adaptation was assessed by measuring mucosal weight and height, and evaluating the regenerative activity by measuring proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labelling index. RESULTS: Bowel resection itself caused a significant increment of jejunal and ileal mucosal height in comparison with the control group. GH and PGF did not change this increase. Jejunal and ileal proliferation indexes were significantly higher than those in controls and they were significantly higher in both RID + GH and RID + PGF groups. CONCLUSIONS: GH and PGF cause a proliferative effect on the intestinal mucosa, even in hyperproliferative states such as the small bowel resection. This finding might have a clinic application.