title: Lipopolysaccharide-induced failure of the gut barrier is site-specific and inhibitable by growth hormone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gut barrier failure caused by endotoxemia is a life-threatening problem. The present study aimed to determine whether any specific intestinal site is highly correlated with gut barrier failure, and whether recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) can ameliorate gut barrier failure in a rat model of endotoxemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Enterostomy tubes were surgically placed in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats three days before induction of endotoxemia by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection. Controls received no LPS. Rats were then randomly assigned to receive subcutaneous injections of rhGH (experimental, n = 30) or 0.9 % saline (control, n = 15) at 24, 48, or 72 h after LPS injection. Escherichia coli labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) were injected into the intestinal segment of all rats through the enterostomy tubes. The number of GFP-labeled E. coli detected in mesenteric lymph nodes was examined after 96 h. Apoptosis and proliferation rates of intestinal epithelial cells, and intestinal permeability were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Endotoxemia led to high mortality, compared with the control group, and rhGH treatment did not improve survival. Intestinal permeability, reflected by translocation rates of GFP-labeled E. coli, and apoptosis rates in the LPS-induced endotoxemia group were higher than those in the non-endotoxemia control group, and the endotoxemia ileum group had the highest rates of both bacterial translocation and apoptosis. The LPS+GH group had less bacterial translocation and apoptosis than the LPS-induced endotoxemia group. In contrast, the proliferation rates were lower in the LPS group compared to the LPS+GH group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endotoxemia can induce gut barrier failure in rats, and the ileum is the site of greatest risk. The GH can reduce the incidence of endotoxemia-induced gut barrier failure, but not the associated mortality.
authors: Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 305 E Zhong Shan Rd, Nanjing 210002, China.
authors: Chao
authors: C
authors: Yue
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Wang
authors: Wei-Liang
authors: WL
authors: Tian
authors: Qian
authors: Q
authors: Huang
authors: Ri-Sheng
authors: RS
authors: Zhao
authors: Yun-Zhao
authors: YZ
authors: Zhao
authors: Qiu-Rong
authors: QR
authors: Li
authors: Jie-Shou
authors: JS
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D019446:Endotoxemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D010539:Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone