ORALLY-ADMINISTERED PHOSPHOLIPIDS INHIBIT ABDOMINAL RUBBER-DRAIN-INDUCED BACTERIAL TRANSLOCATION IN THE RAT

In order to determine the influence of phospholipid on abdominal bioma terial-induced bacterial translocation (BT), phsophatidylcholine (PC) or phosphatidylinositol (PI) was administered orally or intraperitonea lly in rats with intraperitoneal implantation of 7-cm(2) rubber drain pieces. Two days after surgery, the incidence of translocation to mese nteric lymph nodes and liver significantly decreased, the adherence of H-3-Iabeled Escherichia coli to the ileal mucosa was signifciantly in hibited and the phagocytic and bactericidal capacity of peritoneal mac rophages increased in animals with PC or PI administered orally, but n ot intraperitoneally, as compared with rats without phospholipid admin istration. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a coating layer on th e surface of the intestinal mucosa in phospholipid-gavaged rats. Thus, the results in the present study imply that oral, but not intraperito neal, PC of PI administration reduces enteric BT induced by intraperit oneal drain implantation.