Study of bacterial translocation from gut after paraplegia caused by spinal cord injury in rats.
METHODS
Normal rats and paraplegic rats with and injured spinal cord were used to study bacterial translocation from gut.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether bacterial translocation from gut occurs after spinal cord injury.


BACKGROUND
It has been demonstrated that trauma and operation can lead to gastrointestinal paralysis; disturbance of gastrointestinal motility following trauma may cause bacterial overgrowth in gastrointestinal tract and increase the incidence of bacterial translocation. However, bacterial translocation from gut after spinal cord injury has not been studied.


METHODS
Under aseptic manipulation, samples of blood were collected for bacterial cultures and endotoxin determination. In the meantime, samples of mesenteric lymph node, spleen, and liver were collected for bacterial culture. The jejunum and ileum were observed by light and electron microscope.


RESULTS
Endotoxemia and bacterial translocation appeared 24 hours and 48 hours correspondingly after spinal cord injury complicated with paraplegia.


CONCLUSIONS
Bacterial translocation from gut would occur after spinal cord injury in rats, which indicated that antibiotics should be administered to paraplegic patients with spinal cord injury as soon as possible to prevent potential bacterial translocation.
Liu
JianWei
J
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing, China.
An
Hong
H
Jiang
DianMing
D
Huang
Wei
W
Zou
HaiBo
H
Meng
ChunYang
C
Li
HongYu
H
D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018988:Bacterial Translocation / Q000502:physiology; D004064:Digestive System / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D019446:Endotoxemia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D007082:Ileum / Q000473:pathology; D007583:Jejunum / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008643:Mesentery / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology