Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

ICS Travel Awards Purpose: Short bowel syndrome (SBS) and intestinal failure often occur after major resection of the small bowel in infants. It has an incidence of 24.5 per 100,000 live births and mortality rate of 2 per 100,000 per year in Canada. Infants with SBS are unable to absorb the nutrients necessary to grow and survive through regular feeding and are dependent on intravenous nutrition, leading to complications of infection, liver failure and death. This study examines the effect of hormonal therapy with Glucagon-like Peptide 2 (GLP2) on small bowel adaptation to determine if it can improve efficiency and absorptive capacity. We hypothesize that GLP2 is stimulatory for both the intestinal lining and nerves in fasted rats maintained with intravenous nutrition. Methods: Rats with normal length of bowel were maintained with intravenous nutrition with or without GLP2 for 7 days. Small bowel and colon were inspected to determine effect on the bowel lining and on the density and types of intestinal nerves for possible adaptive changes. Results: GLP2 treatment significantly increased small bowel length, weight, circumference, and bowel lining thickness. No differences were found in the colon lining or in nerve density. There was a weak trend towards a change in the types of nerves found in the colon with GLP2. Conclusion: GLP2 improves the growth of the small bowel lining consistent with adaptive changes while fasting. GLP2 did not affect the colon lining or nerve density. There was, however, a weak trend towards a change in the types of nerves found in the colon with GLP2. Further studies will be performed to determine if this nerve effect amplifies with surgically induced short bowel syndrome as it does for the bowel lining. If GLP2 is found to stimulate growth of the absorptive lining and nerves, we may help to cure short bowel syndrome and save lives by improving the nutrition, health and growth of these babies after translational studies are performed.