title: Protective effect of probiotics on intestinal barrier function in malnourished rats after liver transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most patients waiting for liver transplantation have end-stage liver diseases with malnutrition, which is prone to induce intestinal barrier dysfunction after liver transplantation. We aimed to study the effect of probiotics on intestinal barrier function in malnourished rats following liver transplantation with long-term antibiotics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve Lewis rats were selected as donors. Twelve BN rats, which served as recipients, were subjected to malnutrition by semi-starvation for 4-5 weeks. They were randomly divided into two groups: a control group which received phosphate-buffered saline and a probiotics group which received Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. All recipients were injected with intramuscular imipenem and subcutaneous cyclosporine A. Furthermore, six normal BN rats without any drugs or operations served as a normal group. Eight days after operation, all rats were sacrificed for examination of the following parameters: serum levels of endotoxin and TNF-alpha, bacterial translocation, intestinal microflora, ileocecal sIgA, lymphocyte numbers, and phenotypes (CD4, CD8, alphabetaTCR, gammadeltaTCR) of Peyer's patches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In recipients subjected to malnutrition, weight decreased by 20% and they survived until 8 days after operation. Compared with the normal group, all recipients on postoperative day 8 showed increased levels of serum endotoxin and TNF-alpha as well as increased counts of translocated bacteria. Meanwhile, there were decreases in counts of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the ileocecum, sIgA concentration, and lymphocytes of Peyer's patches. Moreover, partial alteration in lymphocyte phenotypes was evidenced by elevated ratios of CD8+ and gammadeltaTCR+ lymphocytes. In contrast, compared to the control group, supplementation with probiotics reduced the levels of serum endotoxin, TNF-alpha and bacterial translocation, increased the counts of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, the concentration of sIgA and lymphocytes of Peyer's patches, and also slightly restored the alteration of lymphocyte phenotypes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supplementation with probiotics including Bifidobac-terium and Lactobacillus promoted partial restoration of intestinal microflora and improved intestinal barrier function in malnourished rats after liver transplantation with long-term use of antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, and Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Gang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jian-Wen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hai-Yang
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Shu-Sen
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000097:blood; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000378:metabolism; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000254:growth & development*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010539:Permeability; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D019936:Probiotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004731:Endotoxins; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha