Fig. 1

Experimental setting and basic components of the perfusion model. Isolated perfused mouse small intestine apparatus (a). Using a custom made, heated chamber (1) an isolated small intestine (2) is perfused (vascular system: red; luminal system: yellow) while placed on a built-in microbalance (3). A moveable cannulating block (4) carries the tubings, heat exchanger cannula holders (5), and bubble trap (6). Height-adjustable reservoirs (7, 8) allow clamping both afterloads to zero. For online analysis of fluid homeostasis all emanating liquids are quantified by use of three balances (9–11). Constant flow perfusion is applied by a syringe pump (12) and a roller pump (13). The vascular perfusate is prewarmed, oxygenated, and pH equilibrated with a tempered hollow fiber dialyzer flushed with carbogen gas (14). Pressure transducers (15–17) allow online detection of the luminal (yellow), venous (blue) and arterial (red) pressures. All data are recorded on a personal computer (18). To secure constant temperature, the chamber and cannulating block are water-jacketed and warmed by a water bath (19). The inset shows a representative photograph of a perfused small intestine. A arterial cannula; B venous cannula; C oral intestinal lumen cannula; D aboral intestinal lumen cannula; E lymphatic suction needle; modified from [21]. Experimental setting and time frame (b)