Protective effect of methylprednisolone on intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

Objective To study the protective effect of methylprednisolone on intestinal isehemia?repedusion injury in rats,and to provide experimental evidence for finding its new clinical uses.Methods In male Wistar rats with or without methylprednisolone treatment,intestinal damage was induced by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 30 min prior to reperfusion.Methylprednisolone was administered via intravenous infusion 5 min before reperfusion was achieved by removal of the clamp.60 minutes after reperfusion SOD and MDA levels were measured as indexes of mucosal injury,and histological examination of hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections was performed.Results The MDA levels in intestinal tissue and serum significantly increased 60 minutes after reperfusion(P0.01).The SOD levels,in contrast,decreased 60 minutes after reperfusion(P0.01).The results were corroborated by histological evaluation of the intestinal tissue.Administration of edaravone diminished the changes of SOD and MDA levels therapeutically.Methylprednisolone could also improve the changes of mucosa significantly.Conclusion Methylprednisolone has been demonstrated to have prophylactic-therapeutic effect on intestinal mucosal injury induced by isehemia-reperfusion in rats by scavenging free radicals in vivo.