Abstract
Experimental orthotopic small bowel transplantation had been successfully performed in rats. Recipients showed normal absorption through transplanted bowel soon after surgery. A life-threatening malnutrition, however, was occasionally observed and those of status was. persisted during the early postoperative periods. It was suspected that "protein losing enteropathy" might developed in the transplanted small bowel. We measured fecal alpha 1-antitrypsin (FA1AT), serum total protein (Tp) and albumin (Alb) in the experimental study, and evaluate the possible enteropathy. Ten out of 15 rats showed high FA1AT excretion. A maximum of excretion was observed at 15 th postoperative days. A high excretion group was noted to develop severe weight loss with low serum albumin level comparing with control group (p<0.05). The FA1AT levels in 6 out of 11 rats returned to normal levels at 30-51 postoperative days. Although the body weight of this group showed gradual increase, four of them died with malnutrition eventually. There were no significant difference in weight change or Tp and Alb levels between normal FA1AT excretion group and control group during consecutive postoperative days. All of experimental animals survived more than 30 days after surgery. The results is as follows : 1) The malnutritional status due to "protein losing enteropathy" occurred in the experimentally transplanted bowel at the early post operative period. 2) This status showed a considerable fatal outcome. 3) We suggest this status might occur at clinical application of the bowel transplantation.
