Relationship Between Antioxidant Enzyme Chains and Trace Elements and Electrolytes Levels and Potency of Melatonin on Sepsis-Induced Small Intestine Injury

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It was intended to determine the impacts of melatonin (Mel) on chitinase-3-like-1 protein, an early sepsis marker, and antioxidant enzymes, trace elements, and electrolytes in the small intestine tissue treated with sepsis with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in Sprague Dawley. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Control, LPS (20 mg/kg i.p.), Mel (10 mg/kg i.p.x3) and LPS + Mel groups were created from Sprague Dawley rats, with 8 individuals in each group. For the LPS group to be used as a sepsis model, the rats were decapitated at the 6th hour following LPS administration, and blood samples and small intestines were taken. In serum samples, antioxidant enzymatic defense mole-cules such as glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), early sepsis marker YKL-40 were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent method. For sta-tistical analysis, ANOVA and post hoc Tukey’s tests were used. RESULTS: The concentrations of GR, GSH-Px, SOD, and YKL-40 were decreased in LPS group. Antioxi-dant enzyme levels in the LPS + Mel groups were found to be close to the control. Also, trace element and electrolyte levels were significantly affected by LPS induced sepsis and Mel treatment returned them to control values. In the sepsis group, small intestine’s images were shown damaged tissue sign and with decreased crypt depths-villus lengths in histological examinations. The images of the other groups are similar to the control group. CONCLUSION: We suggest that Mel application improves serum antioxidant enzyme activity and trace element-electrolyte levels in small intestine tissue with sepsis, and may protect intestinal permeability and absorption by having a preventive effect on the intestinal barrier.