Development of a Novel Rat Model of Reflux Esophagitis after Total Gastrectomy

Reflux esophagitis is a common intractable postoperative complication, especially after procedures such as total gastrectomy, when it manifests itself as alkali esophagitis. Although medications such as proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are said to be efficacious in the treatment of reflux esophagitis, the mechanism of the curative effect of such drugs remains unclear. To address this issue, we performed esophago-duodenostomy on Wistar rats after total gastrectomy, to establish a rat model for reflux esophagitis. An esophagoduodenostomy with an end-to-side anastomosis was performed following a total gastrectomy, and animals were sacrificed at 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after the operation. Esophageal epithelial lesions following histological sectioning were observed under the microscope after fixing the specimens in formalin, and the image analysis of the affected area was carried out on a computer. Lesions were detected as early as seven days after the operation. The total area of the lesions of the esophageal epithelium reached a peak 21 days following the operation, and consisted of sores, ulcers, cornification, mamilliform hyperplasia and hypertrophy. The results enabled us to establish a critical reflux esophagitis model following esophago-duodenostomy after total gastrectomy in rats.