BACTERIAL TRANSLOCATION AFTER NONLETHAL HEMORRHAGE IN THE RAT

Translocation of enteric bacteria has been suggested to compromise pat ients in severe catabolic stress. Mechanisms for this route of infecti on are not known. In this study, rats were subjected to hemorrhage wit hout reinfusion during 60 min, total blood loss was 3.28 +/- 0.14 ml/1 00 g BW. Control groups consisted of sham-operated animals without ble eding, and rats not operated at all. The mean number of viable bacteri a found in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) of bled animals was 168 +/- 45 colony forming units (c.f.u./MLN), significantly higher compared to s ham operated (5 +/- 3 c.f.u./MLN) and not operated (0 +/- 0 c.f.u./MLN ) controls (P < 0.01). Cultures from MLN were positive in 7/9 rats aft er bleeding, in 3/9 of sham operated, and in 0/6 of non-instrumented c ontrol animals. No positive blood cultures were isolated. Escherichia coli was the dominant species found in MLN. A biochemical fingerprinti ng method (the PhP system) was used to identify translocating strains of E. coli among strains found in cecum. The method was also used to c ompare translocating strains between different animals. Our findings r eveal that bacteria translocate to MLN after hemorrhage. Some phenotyp es of E. coli strains translocate more frequently than others, suggest ing that they have properties facilitating translocation. (C) 1993 Wil ey-Liss, Inc.