High-fat enteral nutrition controls intestinal inflammation and improves intestinal motility after peritoneal air exposure

Abstract Background Peritoneal air exposure is a common phenomenon in abdominal surgery, but long-term exposure could induce intestinal inflammatory responses, resulting in delayed recovery of gastrointestinal motility after surgery. High-fat enteral nutrition has been reported to ameliorate inflammation in many diseases. In the present study, we investigated whether high-fat enteral nutrition could control intestinal inflammation and improve intestinal motility after peritoneal air exposure. Methods Male adult rats were administrated saline, low-fat enteral nutrition, or high-fat enteral nutrition via gavage before and after peritoneal air exposure for 3 h. Control rats underwent anesthesia without laparotomy and received saline. Intestinal motility was assessed 24 h after surgery by charcoal transport assay; systemic inflammation was assessed by analyzing serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-10; and intestinal inflammation was assessed by analyzing myeloperoxidase activity and concentrations and gene expression of tumor necrosis factor α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 in the intestinal tissue. Results Peritoneal air exposure decreased intestinal motility significantly compared with the control group ( P