Chronic acid water feeding protects mice against lethal gut-derived sepsis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Acidified feeding formulas have been proposed as a method of controlling gastrointestinal colonization and nosocomial infection in critically ill patients. We examined possible mechanisms by which chronic acid water feeding might protect the host against lethal gut derived sepsis by assessing its effect on both local intestinal epithelial barrier function to bacteria as well as on local and systemic heat shock protein expression. Heat shock protein expression measured by immunoblot demonstrated that HSP25 was increased in the stomach, aorta and kidney of mice chronically fed acid water (8 weeks) compared to tap water fed controls. HSP72 expression was also increased in the aorta of mice drinking acid water. The protein content of cecum and its barrier function were enhanced in mice ingesting acidified water. The direct effect of an acid environment on intestinal epithelial barrier function was tested in cultured human intestinal epithelial cells. An acidified environment protected against bacterial mediated disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier. Finally, the protective effect of chronic acid water feeding on gut-derived sepsis due to P. aeruginosa was tested in mice. Chronic acid water feeding protected mice from the lethal gut derived sepsis due to P. aeruginosa.
Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Licheng
L
Wu
Jonathan E
JE
Kohler
Olga
O
Zaborina
Garg
G
Akash
Mark W
MW
Musch
Eugene B
EB
Chang
John C
JC
Alverdy
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D001011:Aorta / Q000737:chemistry; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D002432:Cecum / Q000737:chemistry; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000502:physiology; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D018805:Sepsis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013270:Stomach / Q000737:chemistry; D014867:Water / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D014867:Water