The effects of mesenteric ischemia on ileal colonization, intestinal integrity, and bacterial translocation in newborn piglets

The effects of mesenteric ischemia on ileal colonization, intestinal integr ity, and bacterial translocation (BT) in newborn piglets were investigated in 362-day-old Pietrain piglets. Group I, controls were not operated upon; group II underwent a sham laparotomy; and group III underwent ligation of t he mesenteric vessels in the distal ileum. After 3 days, the kidneys, splee ns, livers, and ileal segments were harvested for microbial and histologic analyses. Two piglets in the ischemic group died; microscopic examination s howed severe histologic lesions of the ischemic area. Escherichia coli coun ts were increased in the ischemic segment compared to the upper loop (P < 0 .05). Ischemia favoured staphylococcal colonization, whereas in the sham gr oup a drastic reduction of these organisms was observed (P < 0.005). BT to the kidneys, spleen, and liver occurred normally in the control group. Isch emia significantly increased the total microflora in the spleen and liver ( P < 0.05) and furthered dissemination of Clostridium perfringens in the kid neys (P < 0.05); 50% of ischemic animals had proteolytic clostridia in this organ (P < 0.05). Moreover, the incidence of E. coli in the kidneys, splee n, and liver was significantly higher in the sham and ischemic groups than in the controls (P < 0.05). Ileal ischemia thus induced significant histolo gic lesions, and surgery rather than gut microflora controls translocation.