Objective: 

Interruption of blood supply leads to profound functional and structural alterations of the gastrointestinal tract which may lead to deranged gastrointestinal motility. Opioids have been shown to induce preconditioning in myocardial and neuronal tissues. The objective of this study was to determine whether remifentanil could attenuate intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury.

Methods: 

Male Wistar Albino rats were subjected to mesenteric ischemia (30 min) followed by reperfusion (3 hours). Three groups were designed: sham operated control; I/R; I/R and remifentanil preconditioning. Rats in remifentanil preconditioning group were subjected to infusion of remifentanil (3ug/kg/min) for 60 min, half of which started before inducing ischemia. Collecting the ileal tissues, evaluation of damage was based on contractile responses to acetylcholine, levels of lipid peroxidation, and observation of histopathological features in intestinal tissue.

Results: 

Following reperfusion, a significant decrease in acetylcholine-induced contractile response, a remarkable increase in lipid peroxidation, and a significant injury in mucosa of the tissues were observed (p<0.05). The contractile responses of remifentanil-pretreated group were significantly different from those of I/R group (p<0.05). Pretreatment also significantly suppressed lipid peroxidation in post-ischemic tissues.I/R group was histopathologically evaluated as grade 2. In preconditioning with remifentanil, mucosal damage was moderate, staging as grade 1.

Conclusions: 

Pretreatment with remifentanil can attenuate intestinal I/R injury at a remarkable degree possibly by lowering lipid peroxidation.