Growth hormone in the clinical management of the short bowel syndrome in a pig model

Aim This study focuses on the effects of growth hormone (GH) on adaptation in an animal model of pigs that underwent massive intestinal resection. Background The structural and functional changes during intestinal adaptation are necessary to compensate for the sudden loss of digestive and absorptive capacity after massive intestinal resection. If the adaptive response is inadequate, short bowel syndrome (SBS) ensues and patients are left with its associated pathogenicity and the need for parenteral nutrition. This complication increases treatment costs and affects the patient’s quality of life. Hence, medical interventions become necessary to boost this adaptation. In an effort to establish the methodology with best results, both surgical interventions and hormonal implementation are under investigation. Method In our study, animals were randomly assigned to control and treatment groups. They were monitored for two months to assess their recovery rate, measuring both biochemical and haematological parameters. Finally, the animals were sacrificed and remodelling of intestinal villa was assessed, correlated with the previously attained data, and compared between groups. Results Our results suggest that growth hormone facilitates nutrient absorption as confirmed by the biochemical evidence, and enhances recuperation after surgery as indicated by the haematological findings. This is probably due to the remodelling of the intestinal epithelium observed in the treated animals. Conclusion Overall, our results suggest that growth hormone confers an advantage to the animals, leading to a faster and more efficient recuperation. This renders growth hormone a very promising treatment for SBS therapy.