title: Effects of pentoxifylline on intestinal bacterial overgrowth, bacterial translocation and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic rats with ascites.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prophylaxis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis with norfloxacin has been associated to development of antibiotic resistance. We investigated whether pentoxifylline compared to norfloxacin reduces bacterial translocation and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in rats with CCl(4)-induced cirrhosis and ascites.
  
  
  METHODS
  After development of cirrhosis and ascites, animals were randomly allocated to receive pentoxifylline (16 mg/kg/d every 8h, oral route, n=13) or placebo (n=12) for 15 days. An additional group of 8 cirrhotic rats was given norfloxacin (5mg/kg/d for 15 days). Six healthy rats served as controls. Cecal flora and the prevalence of bacterial translocation and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis were analysed. Serum and ascitic fluid levels of TNF-alpha and cecal levels of malondialdehyde were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pentoxifylline in comparison to placebo reduced intestinal bacterial overgrowth (21% vs. 67%, p=0.04), bacterial translocation to cecal lymph nodes (23% vs. 75%, p=0.03) and prevented spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (0% vs. 33%, p=0.04) by Enterobacteriaceae. Norfloxacin administration induced similar results. Pentoxifylline (0.18 ± 0.10 nmol/mg), but not norfloxacin (0.25 ± 0.13; p=0.02), significantly reduced cecal mucosal levels of malondialdehyde compared to placebo (0.33 ± 0.16; p=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In cirrhotic rats with ascites: (a) pentoxifylline as well as norfloxacin reduced intestinal bacterial overgrowth and bacterial translocation and prevented spontaneous bacterial peritonitis; (b) pentoxifylline, but not norfloxacin, reduced oxidative stress in cecal mucosal.
authors: Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy. francescorradi@gmail.com
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Corradi
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Brusasco
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: Fernández
authors: Jordi
authors: J
authors: Vila
authors: Maria Jose
authors: MJ
authors: Ramirez
authors: Tiago
authors: T
authors: Seva-Pereira
authors: Guillermo
authors: G
authors: Fernández-Varo
authors: Ismail Ben
authors: IB
authors: Mosbah
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Acevedo
authors: Anibal
authors: A
authors: Silva
authors: Patricia Rieken Macedo
authors: PR
authors: Rocco
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Pelosi
authors: Pere
authors: P
authors: Gines
authors: Miquel
authors: M
authors: Navasa
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001201:Ascites / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D018988:Bacterial Translocation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D002432:Cecum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009643:Norfloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D009643:Norfloxacin; D010431:Pentoxifylline