Small Intestinal Permeability and Serum Folate and Cobalamin Absorption after Surgical Construction of Permanent Jejunal Fistulas in Laboratory Beagle Dogs

Permanent jejunal fistulas enable easy, noninjurious, repeated and direct administration to and collection from the small intestines of conscious laboratory dogs. This study aimed at identifying potential alterations in the small intestinal morphology and function of this canine model after the surgery required to establish the fistulas. Assays of serum folate and cobalamin and ⁵¹Cr-EDTA permeability tests were performed before and 4 wk after experimental jejunoplasties in 14 laboratory beagle dogs. Serum folate concentrations (mean ± SD) before (12.22 ± 1.80 μg/L) and after (14.14 ± 1.70 μg/L) jejunal surgery were within reference ranges for healthy dogs, although folate concentrations were higher after surgery. The cobalamin concentrations and the 6-h urinary excretion of ⁵¹Cr-EDTA before (573.50 ± 150.04 ng/L and 6.75 ± 1.56%, respectively) and after (496.71 ± 164.22 ng/L and 6.41 ± 1.10%) were normal for healthy dogs, and no significant differences between pre- and postsurgical values were detected. The findings of the present study indicate that the small intestinal vitamin absorption and permeability of laboratory beagle dogs with jejunal fistulas remains unimpaired.