title: Intestinal microbiota and innate immunity-related gene alteration in cirrhotic rats with liver transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study investigated the alteration of intestinal microbiota, innate immunity-related genes, and bacterial translocation in rats with cirrhosis and liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Specific pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 4 groups: (1) normal controls (N); (2) liver cirrhosis (LC); (3) normal control groups with liver transplantation (LTN); and (4) liver cirrhosis with liver transplantation (LTC). We examined plasma endotoxin, bacterial tacslocation, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profile of intestinal mucosa-associated bacteria, abundance of key bacterial populations, and expression of innate immunity-related gene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The LTC and LC group, showed higher endotoxin levels (1.08±0.73 EU/mL and 0.74±0.70 EU/mL, respectively) than the N group (0.27±0.13 EU/mL; P<.05). the incidence of bacterial translocation (BT) to liver and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), and the number of total bacteria were increased significantly in the LTC and LC groups compared with the N group (P<.05). The counts of Lactobacilli and Bacteroides were lower, whereas Enterobacteria were higher in the LC than the N group (P<.05). Mucins (MUC2, MUC3) and Toll-like receptors (TLR2, TLR4) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were significantly higher in the LC and LTC groups than the N group (P<.05). The marked difference between the groups in the overall structure of the bacterial community was also generated by DGGE profiles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Liver cirrhosis disturbs intestinal microbiota and innate immunity-related genes, which contributes to endotoxemia and bacterial translocation. These had not completely recovered in cirrhotic rats until 1 month after orthotopic liver transplantation.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Infectious Disease Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Y R
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Z B
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Z F
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ruan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D058645:Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000097:blood; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007082:Ileum / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics*; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D055262:Mucin-2 / Q000235:genetics; D055263:Mucin-3 / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2 / Q000235:genetics; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; C524628:Muc2 protein, rat; C524651:Muc3 protein, rat; D055262:Mucin-2; D055263:Mucin-3; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C495343:Tlr2 protein, rat; C495347:Tlr4 protein, rat; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride