title: Influence of uracil on bacterial translocation in an intestinal obstruction model in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bacterial translocation occurs when intestinal mucosa and the intestinal wall lose their barrier properties against bacteria such as in the case of intestinal obstruction. Enteral nutrition with immunonutrients strengthens the immune system and thickens the intestinal barrier thus preventing bacterial translocation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of uracil which is an immunonutrient on bacterial translocation using rats with intestinal obstruction as a model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wistar albino rats were divided into three groups. The control group was fed with standard chow diet, while the other two groups were fed with uracil-supplemented chow diet. The rats were fed with these diets for seven days. And the end of the feeding period all groups were submitted intestinal obstruction and injected with (99m)Tc labeled Escherichia coli into the rats' terminal ileum under anesthetic. The rats were sacrificed 24 h later. Their blood, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), liver, spleen, lung and ileum were removed to determine level of radioactivity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When compared with the control group it was determined that uracil supplementation reduced the level of bacterial translocation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Uracil may be used in the prevention of bacterial translocation in cases of intestinal obstruction because it strengthens the intestinal barrier and the immune system. However, more studies are needed to clearly explain the mechanism behind uracil's beneficial role here.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Applications, Institute of Nuclear Science, Ege University, Bornova, 35100 Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aslı
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Çıtak
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Çetin
authors.initials: Ç
authors.lastname: Pekçetin
authors.forename: Seda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozbal
authors.forename: Fatma Yurt
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Lambrecht
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D018988:Bacterial Translocation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003947:Diagnostic Techniques, Radioisotope; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D007082:Ileum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013667:Technetium / Q000032:analysis; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014498:Uracil / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014498:Uracil; D013667:Technetium