Chronic cannulation of the small intestine of pigeons (Columba livia): A technique to assess bioavailability.

JUAN GABRIEL CHEDIACK; CID, F.; FASULO, V.; CAVIEDES-VIDAL, E.

San Luis

Congreso; XXII Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo.; 2004

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Chronic cannulation of the small intestine of pigeons (Columba livia): A technique to assess bioavailability. Chediack JG, Cid FD, Fasulo SV, Caviedes-Vidal E. Departamento de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas. Área de Biología. UNSL. e-mail jchedi@unsl.edu.ar In the study of intestinal absorption processes many techniques have been developed for in situ and in vitro studies. The in vivo techniques have the advantage to reproduce the conditions close to the normal situation. Our objective was developed a novel method of chronic duodenal cannulation to study intestinal transport of solutes on in vivo pigeons (Columba livia). A modified nasogastric catheter made in PVC was used to insert into the proximal part of the small intestine of pigeons. The cannula was made with a rigid catheter 21G filled into a nasogastric catheter (K-33). The stability of body mass of pigeons was evaluated both, before and after surgery. We found a steady state of body mass after two weeks after capture of animals, and it was steady after surgery. Recovery from surgery was extremely rapid and animals consumed food and water within a day and behaviour problems related to the surgery were not observed. The cannula was expulsed by pigeons around two months after surgery. The method is simple, inexpensive and useful for nutrition research. Particularly, it was useful to determine bioavailability of solutes in intact animals without influence of anaesthesia. Supported by FONCYT 1-03101 & CyT-UNSL 22/Q151 to ECV.