The effect of pretreatment with endotoxin and Lactobacillus on bacterial translocation in acute liver injury

Objective: To evaluate the effect of pretreatment with endotoxin or Lactobacillus reuteri pretreatment on bacterial translocation after acute liver injury. Design: Experimental study. Setting: University department, Sweden. Subjects: 96 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups of 24 each. Three of them received intraperitoneal D-galactosamine, the fourth received pyrogen free water and was used as the normal control. Twenty-four hours later the study was terminated and samples collected. Interventions: Endotoxin and L reuteri R2LC were injected intraperitoneally three days, one week, and two weeks before induction of liver injury. Main outcome measures: Extent of liver injury and bacterial translocation to mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, and systemic blood. Results: The extent of liver injury and rate of bacterial translocation were lower three days after pretreatment with endotoxin, than after pretreatment with L reuteri. There was no other difference among the other groups. High concentrations of serum endotoxin were detected three days after pretreatment with endotoxin. There were no significant changes in small intestinal and caecal bacterial counts. Conclusion: Pretreatment with endotoxin effectively prevented liver injury by D-galactosamine and subsequent bacterial translocation. Pretreatment with L reuteri had no beneficial effect.