Objectives: 

Alterations both in intestinal permeability and in flora that populate intestine affect the course of the chronic inflammatory processes. Carrageenan is a complex polysaccharide which induces innate immune response. Glucagon like peptide-2 (GLP-2), has proliferative. anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects in gastrointestinal tissues and tightens the intestinal barrier.

Materials: 

Knee histology intestinal permeability, tissue myeloperoxidase activity (MPO), lipid peroxidation products (LP), antioxidant capacity of gluthation (GSH), GI histology by light and electron microscopy (EM) were investigated 4 weeks after the intraarticular injection of carrageenan or vehicle in rats which were treated with daily GLP-2 or vehicle injection.

Results: 

Chronic arthritis was successfully induced. There were no alterations in intestinal permeability in rats with chronic arthritis. GLP-2 reversed only gastrointestinal alterations but had no effect on knee histology in all experiments. MPO and LP levels were increased and GSH levels were decreased in the colon, intestine and liver in untreated arthricic rats. GLP-2 reduced these oxidative stress mediators and antioxidant capacity was well preserved with this treatment. Eosinophilic infiltration of the colon was observed in arthritic rats by LM. This infiltration was prevented by GLP-2 treatment as well. EM had revealed opening of the tight junctions in intestine, lipid droplets and damaged mitochondria in hepatocytes of untreated rats however intestinal tight junctions were intact, hepatic lipid vacuoles were far less, endoplasmic reticulum structure was well preserved in GLP-2 treatment group.

Conclusions: 

Intestinal changes resembling inflammatory bowel disease and liver ultra structural changes similar to metabolic syndrome were observed in arthritic rats 4 weeks after the induction of arthritis. The mediators of these changes were neutrophil infiltration and oxidative stress which were reversed by GLP-2 treatment probably via mechanisms involved in intestinal permeability.