Splenectomy promotes bacterial translocation
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Date
2001
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Abstract
Bacterial translocation from the gut may be primary event in many disease complicated by bacteriemia or sepsis. An experimental study was conducted to examine the influence of splenectomy and splenorraphy on bacterial translocation. Forty-five rats were divided randomly into three groups, and treated as follows; Group I: Splenectomy was performed, Group II: Standard splenic injury was made and repaired by splenorraphy, Group III: Sham-laparotomy was performed. After 24 hours, rats were sacrificed and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) were harvested for quantitative cultures, lleum was removed for histopathologic examination. Identification of enteric organisms from MLN cultures was regarded as positive for bacterial translocation. The rate of translocation was significantly increased in group I compared to that in groups II and III (p<0.05). The most common translocating bacteria was E. coli and Proteus sp. The cecal population levels of aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria were not statistically different between the groups. There was no intestinal mucosal damage in the histologie examination of the experimental groups. It was concluded that splenectomy but not splenorraphy promotes bacterial translocation, probably by causing impairment of immune function.