Progesterone treatment effects on intestinal inflammation in an experimental model of ischemia and reperfusion by aortic oclusion in male rats

Abstract

Ischemia is characterized by a generalized reduction in blood flow as well as to a specific area or organ, leading to a decrease in oxygen and nutrient supply, triggering the inflammatory process and causing cell death. For the reversal of the ischemic picture, circulation restoration is essential, but flow restoration, despite preventing cell death, is responsible for aggravating the damage already established during ischemia, causing systemic dissemination of toxic products generated during the tissue reperfusion phase. Among the organs of the gastrointestinal system, the intestine is possibly the most sensitive by the amount of labile cells easily damaged by episodes of ischemia. Studies conducted in recent years indicate that the response to shock, trauma and sepsis may differ between males and females, finding that females are more resilient than males. Thus, the objective of this project will be to investigate the effect of progesterone treatment on mesenteric lesion in the rat aortic ischemia and reperfusion model. Therefore, we plan to investigate: (1) to determine myeloperoxidase activity and microvascular permeability in the intestine; (3) to investigate the protein and gene expression of nitric oxide synthase isoforms (iNOS and eNOS) and endothelin-1 in the mesentery vessels; (4) to evaluate the leukogram, hemodynamic and gasometric parameters; (5) to determine the progesterone plasma concentration. (AU)