Introduction: It has been shown that the length of an intestinal segment may be doubled by applying gradual mechanical stretching. This study evaluated whether the lengthened intestinal segment retained the structure and function after the stretching device was removed.
Methods: A 1.5-cm jejunal segment was separated from intestinal continuity in 20 rats. After advancing a screw into the isolated jejunal segment by 5 mm 3 times a week until it was stretched by 3 cm, the screw was removed. Three weeks later, the jejunal segments were retrieved for analyses. Comparisons were made between the lengthened jejunal segments.
Results: The jejunal segment doubled its length after gradual stretching and retained this length 3 weeks after the screw removal (3.1 +/- 0.8 vs 3.2 +/- 0.4 cm, P > .05). The villous height, the muscular thickness, and the total alkaline phosphatase and lactase activities of the stretched jejunal segments were also unchanged 3 weeks after the screw removal.
Conclusions: Mechanical force induced the sustained lengthening of isolated jejunal segments in rats. The histologic and enzymatic alterations also persisted 3 weeks after the mechanical force was removed. This phenomenon may provide a novel method for the treatment of short bowel syndrome.