The Effect of Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor, Glutamine and Antibiotic on the Bacterial Translocation in the Endotoxemic Rats

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Now, there is good evidence suggesting that the gastrointestinal tract is not simply a bystander organ in critically ill patients but also may serve as an initiator and stimulator of a generalized systemic inflammatory response, and may function as the "motor" of sepsis and the MOFS (multiple organ failure syndrom). The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of bacterial translocation and the effects of the granulocyte colony stimulating factor, enteral glutamine and prophylactic antibiotic on the bacterial translocation in endotoxemic rats. METHODS: Thiry-Vella loops were made in 80 male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing between 250 and 300 g. After 7 days, they were arbitrarily divided into 4 groups (control, G-CSF, glutamine and antibiotic groups). After inducing endotoxemia, the same amount of radiolabelled E. coli (500,000 CPU/ml) was insufflated through the Thiry-Vella loop. Then, after 4 hours, radioactivities of the lung, the liver, the spleen, the kidney, and serum (CPM gm wet wt.) were measured with a Wallac 1410. To investigate the pattern of bacterial translocation, we divided the control group into 2 subgroups and harvested each organ at 1 hour and 4 hours after inducing endotoxemia. RESULTS: The organ distribution of radiolabelled E. coli differed with the lapse of time. Bacterial translocation was observed as early as 1 hour, and significantly higher levels of radioactivity were observed in the lung at 1 hour, and in the liver at 4 hours after endotoxemia than were observed in the other organs (P<0.01). G-CSF, glutamine and a prophylactic antibiotic could prevent the bacterial translocation in endotoxemic rats. Also, bacterial translocation was significantly reduced in the glutamine group compared with the G-CSF and the prophylactic antibiotic group (P<0.05). However, there was no difference in mucosa atrophy (villous height/mucosa thickness) among the group. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that bacterial translocation could be prevented with G-CSF, glutamine, and prophylactic antibiotics and it might be hopeful in treating the patients suffering from shock, sepsis, trauma, and surgical stress.