Perturbed bioelectrical properties of the mouse cecum following hepatectomy and starvation: The role of bacterial adherence

Previous work in our laboratory has demonstrated that bacterial adherence a lone to the intestinal epithelium, as occurs following catabolic stress, si gnificantly perturbs the normal electrophysiology of the cecal mucosa. The aim of this study was to further characterize these effects in the mouse ce cum following hepatectomy and short-term starvation, and to define the role of bacterial adherence in this process. Groups of mice underwent a surgica l hepatectomy and were either fed or starved during the postoperative perio d. Groups of controls underwent sham operations and were either fed or star ved postoperatively, Electrophysiologic studies in Ussing chambers at 48 ho urs were performed. Bacterial adherence to the mucosa was assessed by cultu re and histologic staining. To determine the role of bacteria in the altere d electrophysiologic response, ciprofloxacin decontamination studies were p erformed. Only mice subjected to both hepatectomy and starvation developed bacterial adherence of sufficient magnitude (>10(5) cfu/gm) to alter mucosa l electrophysiology (short-circuit current and basal potential difference). Ciprofloxacin decontamination completely abrogated this effect. ion replac ement studies suggested that active sodium transport was primarily responsi ble for the observed changes in mucosal electrophysiology. Bacterial-epithe lial cell interactions may be responsible for altered mucosal ion transport observed following operative catabolic stress and short-term starvation.