Bacterial translocation in short-bowel syndrome in rats

Massive intestinal resection results in short bowel syndrome (SBS) and Is a ssociated with an increased risk of infectious complications mainly caused by the egress of intestinal bacteria to distant organs, a process termed ba cterial translocation CBT). The purpose of this experimental study in rats was to investigate in different models of SBS the impact of the type of int estinal resection on bacterial growth in the residual small bowel and on th e occurrence of BT. SBS was created in 30 rats either by jejunal resection (JR), by ileal resec tion (IR) or by ileal resection including the ileocecal valve (IR+ICV). 10 animals underwent only a sham laparotomy (SL) and served as controls. Two w eeks after the operative procedure; intestinal bacterial colonization and B T to the portal vein, vena cava, All resected animals showed a decreased we ight gain and a significant bacterial overgrowth in the residual small bowe l compared to the St group, BT occurred after St in 12%, after JR in 70%, a fter IR in 58%, and was significantly less frequent (35%) after IR+ICV, res pectively. These experimental findings suggest that BT in SBS might be promoted by the intestinal bacterial overgrowth in the residual bowel, and the incidence o f BT seems to be related to the presence or absence of the ileocecal valve.