Protective effect of carbon dioxide against bacterial peritonitis induced in rats.

Background: Carbon dioxide (CO(2)) has been used in the food industry as an antimicrobial agent. This study aimed to investigate whether CO(2) pneumoperitoneum might act similarly as an antimicrobial agent in the infected peritoneal cavity.

Methods: Peritonitis was induced in 58 rats by intraabdominal injection of an Escherichia coli inoculum (6 x 105 colony-forming units [CFU]/ml).