The effect of ethyl pyruvate administration on intestinal mucosal damage in neonatal rat models of necrotizing enterocolitis.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine whether intraperitoneal administration of ethyl pyruvate (EP) affects intestinal mucosal damage in neonatal rats with a model of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

METHODS

The study comprised 46 Sprague-Dawley newborn rats delivered on the 21st gestational day. The rats were divided into four groups: Sham Group (n = 10), EP Group (n = 10), NEC Group (n = 13), and NEC + EP Group (n = 13).

RESULTS

The mean body weights of rats in Sham and EP groups significantly increased (p < 0.05), whereas those in NEC groups significantly decreased (p < 0.05). The changes were similar between groups (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the clinical sickness score (CSS) between groups (p > 0.05). The CSS in the NEC groups showed an increase from day 1 to day 4. Based on the histopathological grading, there was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) observed between the Sham Group, the NEC Group, and the NEC + EP Group. The differences in biochemical values among the other groups were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05) for all variables.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of EP in high-mortality diseases such as NEC is expected to reduce surgical needs, establishing a basis for future studies on EP as an innovative anti-inflammatory agent.