The fact that small bowel is extremely sensitive to cold preservation had encouraged us to compare the conventional histology and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) methods in intestinal structural changes following experimental cold storage models. Our histological findings showed that longer cold preservation period caused more severe damage in structure of mucosa and crypts, but there were no changes in the muscular layer. According to our DSC data (transition temperature, calorimetric enthalpy) Suggest that the thermal destruction of mucosa, muscular layer and total intestinal wall following preservation injury revealed significant differences compared to normal bowel structure. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.