All issues > Volume 13(8); 1970

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1970;13(8):447-454. Published online August 31, 1970.

Histological Study on Rabbit Liver following Hydrogen Peroxide Enema

Tae U Paik¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Since Oliver and Murphy (1920) first administered hydrogen peroxide intravenously for the treatment of influenza pneumonia, attempts have been made to use hydrogen peroxide parenterally as a source of oxygen both in human and in animals. But using hydrogen peroxide intravenously or intraarterially, gas emboli formation by Lorincz, et al. (1948), Stern, et al. (1967) and Feldman, et al. (1967) and methemoglobinemia by Lorincz, et al. (1948)，Feldman, et al. (1967) and Fuson, et al. (1967) were noticed. Since Olim and Ciuti(1954) described its use in two cases of smeconium ileu, hydrogen peroxide has been used for the treatment of neonatal intestinal obstruction due to inspissated meconium. However Ellis and Clatworthy(1966), Danis, et al. (1967) and Shaw, et al. (1967) observed intestinal gangrene in the newborn infants following colonic lavage with hydrogen peroxide during the surgical treatment of meconium ileus and they emphasized that this potentially dangerous practice should be abandoned. Yun(1969) investigated on extrapulmonary oxygenation of hydrogen peroxide in dogs. By his study for the single administration, 0. 4% hydrogen peroxide could be given with a dose of 10 ml. per kg of body weight safely by enema preferably without doing any enema before the procedure, which would give maximum oxygenation in both portal vein and inferior vena cava without forming gas emboli. Higher than this concentration would cause gas bubbles in portal vein. In the serial administration, 0. 2% hydrogen peroxide could be given by enema alternately exchanging the intestinal contents with 10 to 15 minutes intervals, preferably with human whole blood (1. 0 ml. per kg. of body weight) to have a prolonged higher oxygenation in portal vein, inferior vena cava and femoral artery, which would not cause gas. emboli in portal vein and methemoglobinemia. Author studied the histologic study on rabbit liver by enema of normal saline solution as a control, 0.25% and 0.75% hydrogen peroxide with the amount of 10 cc per kg of body weight singly or serially (six times with 15 minutes of interval) to know whether these groups, which developed emboli or not, are harmful to the liver or not. It was known that only 0. 75% hydrogen peroxide enema group showed gas emboli in the mesenteric vein, portal vein and vessels of liver and all the experimental groups didn’t show any histologic abnormalities in the liver such as cloudy swelling, inflammation, air emboli, congestion and glycogen change. From the result of this experiment, since visible gas in portal veindid not cause any minor tissue damage in the liver, hydrogen peroxide solution which would not form gas emboli in portal vein, could be used clinically without danger because the solution increases PO2 in venous and arterial blood significantly.

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