Transintestinal systemic oxygenation using perfluorocarbon

• Published in: Surgery today (Tokyo, Japan) Vol. 36; no. 3; pp. 262 - 266
• Main Authors: Miyaguchi, Naoyuki, Nagahiro, Itaru, Kotani, Kazutoshi, Nakanishi, Hidehiro, Mori, Hideaki, Osaragi, Tomohiko, Shimizu, Nobuyoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan 01.03.2006
• Subjects: Animals; Fluorocarbons; Intestine, Small; Liquid Ventilation - methods; Oxygen - blood; Partial Pressure; Perfusion; Rats; Rats, Wistar
• ISSN: 0941-1291; 1436-2813
• DOI: 10.1007/s00595-005-3135-z

Perfluorocarbons have an excellent oxygen- and carbon dioxide-carrying capacity. This prompted us to investigate the feasibility of transintestinal systemic oxygenation using perfluorocarbon. A rat hypoventilation model (room air, 20 breaths/min and a tidal volume of 10 ml/kg) was thus established, and FC-77 (Sumitomo-3M, Osaka, Japan) was used as a perfusate. Oxygenated FC-77 was perfused through the small intestine for 4 h. The rats were allocated into three groups as follows. Group 1 (n = 6): hypoventilation only; Group 2 (n = 6): saline was perfused instead of FC-77; Group 3 (n = 6): FC-77 was perfused. Arterial blood samples were drawn from the common iliac artery every 30 min until the end of perfusion. A standard blood gas analysis was performed. The PaO2 level in Group 3 was significantly higher than in Groups 1 or 2 (P = 0.006: at the end of perfusion, Group 1 = 58.6 +/- 14.5 mmHg, Group 2 = 65.2 +/- 29.4 mmHg, Group 3 = 84.0 +/- 35.5 mmHg). The PaCO2 level in Group 3 was significantly lower than that in Groups 1 or 2 (P = 0.014: at the end of perfusion, Group 1 = 56.8 +/- 8.5 mmHg, Group 2 = 52.6 +/- 5.7 mmHg, Group 3 = 44.4 +/- 11.1 mmHg). Our findings indicate that transintestinal systemic oxygenation is indeed possible and could therefore become a useful new modality for respiratory assist.