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Abstract
Objective: Necrotizing enterocolitis has been investigated and debated extensively in recent years; however, there is still no effective treatment. The aim of this study was thus to examine the effects of β-estradiol on intestinal injury in rats.
Methods: Twenty-four newborn female rat pups were divided into three groups. In group 1 (sham), hypoxia–re-oxygenation was not performed. In group 2 (saline), the rats were injected with saline after hypoxia–re-oxygenation, and the process was repeated for 5 d. In group 3 (β-estradiol treatment), the rats were subjected to hypoxia–re-oxygenation and then given β-estradiol intraperitoneally once a day for 5 d. After these procedures, the terminal ileum was removed for analysis.
Results: Statistically significant differences in histological grades were found between groups 1 and 2 (p = 0.000), groups 1 and 3 (p = 0.028), and groups 2 and 3 (p = 0.021). There were also differences in TNF-α and IL-6 levels between groups 2 and 3 (p = 0.000 and p = 0.038, respectively) and between groups 1 and 2 (p = 0.000 and p = 0.000); there was no difference between groups 1 and 3 (p = 0.574 and p = 0.195, respectively). Electron microscopy examination revealed a decrease in lipid droplets at the apical cytoplasm of the columnar cells in group 2; in group 3, the absorption of the lipids as lipid droplets was similar to that of group 1.
Conclusion: In this study, β-estradiol was found to decrease the intensity of intestinal injury significantly by inhibiting TNF-α and IL-6.
Declaration of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interests. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.