The effects of moderate hypothermia on energy metabolism and serum inflammatory markers during laparotomy

The objective of this study was to investigate energy metabolism of the gut and liver as well as serum inflammatory cytokines following exploratory laparotomy at moderate hypothermia. Two groups of rats were studied, (n=6-8/group); laparotomy at normothermia for 120 min and laparotomy at hypothermia (32-33 degrees C) for 120 min. Study 1: Intestinal glucose, succinate, lactate, phosphocreatine, and ATP as well as hepatic glucose, succinate, lactate, and ATP were measured in terms of micromole per gram using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Study 2: Serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, LPS-inducible chemokine (LIX), and sICAM-1 were measured by ELISA. Histology of the gut and liver were interpreted. Data are expressed as mean and SEM. In Study 1, laparotomy at hypothermia caused an increase in intestinal glucose levels (0.78 +/- 0.03 vs. 1.29 +/- 0.11, P=0.0012) with a decrease in hepatic lactate levels (0.82 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.44 +/- 0.06, P < 0.001). There were no differences in the other metabolites between the two groups. In Study 2, there were no differences in serum TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, LIX, or sICAM-1 between the two groups. Histological features of the gut and liver among groups were comparable. In conclusion, the intestine and liver react to hypothermia differently. However, levels of high-energy phosphates in both organs are not affected by hypothermia suggesting adequate energy for the organs. It is unlikely that hypothermia induces either systemic inflammatory response or hypoxic damage to the intestine and liver in this model.