CISAPRIDE PREVENTS ENTERIC BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH AND TRANSLOCATION BY IMPROVEMENT OF INTESTINAL MOTILITY IN RATS WITH ACUTE LIVER-FAILURE

Enteric bacterial overgrowth resulting from compromised gastrointestin al motility has been suggested to be important for the development of enteric bacterial translocation. In the present study, the effect of c isapride, a 5-hydroxytryptamine-4-receptor agonist and stimulant of in testinal motility, was evaluated concerning intestinal motility, as me asured by intestinal transit time, enteric bacterial overgrowth, and b acterial translocation from the gut in rats with acute liver failure i nduced by 90% hepatectomy. The results demonstrated that (1) the incid ence of bacterial translocation to the systemic and portal circulation as well as to the liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs was nil, and 17-3 3% to MLN in hepatectomized animals treated with cisapride, i.e. signi ficantly lower than in hepatectomized rats administered saline; (2) ov ergrowth of E. coli in the intestine was noted in hepatectomized anima ls given saline, but not following cisapride treatment; (3) cisapride improved the otherwise delayed intestinal transit time following hepat ectomy as shown by an increase in the leading edge of isotopic propuls ion and the linear slope of the cumulative percent of radioactivity th rough each intestinal segment. Thus, we conclude that intravenous admi nistration of cisapride prevents enteric bacterial overgrowth and bact erial translocation by improving intestinal motility in rats with acut e liver failure induced by subtotal hepatectomy.