Burn-Induced Impairment of Ileal Muscle Contractility Is Associated with Increased Extracellular Matrix Components

Severe burns lead to marked impairment of gastrointestinal motility, such as delayed gastric emptying and small and large intestinal ileus. However, the cellular mechanism of these pathologic changes remains largely unknown.Male Sprague Dawley rats approximately 3 months old and weighing 300-350 g were randomized to either a 60% total body surface area full-thickness scald burn or sham procedure and were sacrificed 24 h after the procedure....