title: Methods to determine intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation during liver disease.
abstract: Liver disease is often times associated with increased intestinal permeability. A disruption of the gut barrier allows microbial products and viable bacteria to translocate from the intestinal lumen to extraintestinal organs. The majority of the venous blood from the intestinal tract is drained into the portal circulation, which is part of the dual hepatic blood supply. The liver is therefore the first organ in the body to encounter not only absorbed nutrients, but also gut-derived bacteria and pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Chronic exposure to increased levels of PAMPs has been linked to disease progression during early stages and to infectious complications during late stages of liver disease (cirrhosis). It is therefore important to assess and monitor gut barrier dysfunction during hepatic disease. We review methods to assess intestinal barrier disruption and discuss advantages and disadvantages. We will in particular focus on methods that we have used to measure increased intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation in experimental liver disease models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Medicine, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Lirui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Medicine, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Llorente
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Phillipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
authors.forename: An-Ming
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Medicine, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States. Electronic address: beschnabl@ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schnabl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018988:Bacterial Translocation / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000502:physiology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D008107:Liver Diseases; D051379:Mice; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Endotoxin; Gut–liver axis; Intestinal injury; Intestinal leakiness; Microbiome; Microbiota