The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether
mibefradil can reduce oxidative stress and histologic damage in the rat small bowel subjected to
mesenteric ischemia and
reperfusion injury. Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats weighing between 210 and 220 g were divided into three groups, each containing 10 rats: group 1,
sham operation; group 2, untreated
ischemia-reperfusion; and group 3,
ischemia-reperfusion plus
mibefradil treatment group. Intestinal
ischemia for 45 min and reperfusion for 60 min were applied. Ileal specimens were obtained to determine the tissue levels of MDA, CAT, SOD, and GSH-Px and histologic changes. In group 2, MDA values were significantly increased compared to those in groups 1 and 3. In addition, SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px values decreased significantly in group 2 compared to groups 1 and 3. The intestinal injury score increased significantly in group 2 and 3 rats compared to group 1 rats. However, this increase was reduced in group 3 rats compared to group 2. Histopathologically, the rats in group 1 had essentially normal testicular architecture. In group 2 rats, the lesions varied between grade 3 and grade 5. In contrast, most of the specimens in the
mibefradil-treated group 3 showed grade 1 injury.
Mibefradil plays a role in attenuating
reperfusion injury of the small intestine by depressing
free radical production and mucosal injury score and regulating postischemic intestinal perfusion while restoring intestinal microcirculatory blood flow and encountered histologic injury.