Systemic phosphatidylcholine pretreatment protects canine esophageal mucosa during acute experimental biliary reflux

Figure 1 Effects of bile (black box), PC+bile (gray box) and 7-NI+bile (checked box) on the ATP content of esophageal mucosa. The plots demonstrate the median (horizontal line in the box), the 25^th (lower whisker) and 75^th (upper whisker) percentiles, respectively. ^aP < 0.05 between groups vs saline-treated control group. ^cP < 0.05 between bile+7-NI-treated and bile+PC-treated groups vs bile-treated group values.

Figure 2 Changes in constitutive (left panel) and inducible NOS (right panel) activities [fmol (mg protein)-1/min] in esophageal tissue from saline-treated (empty box), bile-treated (black box), bile+PC-treated (gray box) and bile+7-NI-treated (checked box) animals. The plots demonstrate the median (horizontal line in the box), the 25^th (lower whisker) and 75^th (upper whisker) percentiles, respectively. ^aP < 0.05 between groups vs saline-treated control group values. ^cP < 0.05 between bile+7-NI-treated and bile+PC-treated groups vs bile-treated group values.

Figure 3 Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the esophageal mucosa 180 min after treatment. The plots demonstrate the median (horizontal line in the box), the 25^th (lower whisker) and 75^th (upper whisker) percentiles, respectively. ^aP < 0.05 between groups vs saline-treated control group values. ^cP < 0.05 between bile+7-NI-treated and bile+PC-treated groups vs bile-treated group values.

Figure 4 Mast cell degranulation (%) in the esophageal mucosa 180 min after treatment. The plots demonstrate the median (horizontal line in the box) and the 25^th (lower whisker) and 75^th (upper whisker) percentiles. ^aP<0.05 between groups vs saline-treated control group values. ^cP<0.05 between bile+7-NI-treated and bile+PC-treated groups vs bile-treated group values.

Figure 5 Photomicrographs of esophageal wall from groups 1- 4 (H&E staining). A: control group (saline treatment, original magnification x 224), B: bile treatment (epithelial damage and subepithelial edema, original magnification x 112), C: bile-treated group (significant leukocyte infiltration in the muscle layers and adventitia, original magnification x 112), D: bile + 7-NI treatment (extreme leukocyte infiltration in the adventitia, original magnification x 224), and E: bile + PC treatment (no significant change in the esophageal wall, original magnification x 56x; the arrow in the right upper corner shows the muscle layer of the same field (original magnification x 400); the interstitial capillaries are filled with PMNs, but only few extravasated PMNs are present).