Early intrajejunal nutrition: bacterial translocation and gut barrier function of severe acute pancreatitis in dogs.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of early intrajejunal nutrition in attenuating bacterial and/or endotoxin translocation and improving gut barrier function of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in dogs.

Methods: 15 dogs were divided into parenteral nutrition (PN) group (7 dogs) and early intrajejunal nutrition (EIN) group (8). EIN was delivered nutrients via a needle jejunostomy catheter feeding at 48 h after operation. SAP model was induced by injecting 1 ml/kg of combined solution of 5% sodium taurocholate and 8000-10 000 BAEE units trypsin/ml into the pancreas via the pancreatic duct. Systemic blood samples were obtained before and 1, 3, 5, 7 d following SAP, and cultured by aerobic as well as anaerobic bacterial growth. Systemic plasma and portal vein endotoxin levels were quantified by the chromogenic limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) technique. Portal vein blood and specimens of tissue from the mesenteriolum and mesocolon lymph nodes, lung, pulmonary portal lymph nodes, pancreatitistissue and periopancreas tissue were adopted before the experiment was finished. Aliquots of the homogenata were cultured as blood mentioned above to determine the magnitude of the bacteria. DNA, protein and the villi, the thickness of mucosa, and the whole bowel wall of the ileum and transverse colon were measured.

Results: The study showed that the levels of systemic plasma endotoxin and the magnitude of bacterial translocation to the portal and systemic blood and distant organ were reduced significantly in the EIN group as compared with the TPN group. The contents of Protein and DNA, the height of villi, the thickness of mucosa and whole bowel wall of the ileum and transverse colon in the EIN group were higher than those in the PN group.

Conclusion: Our results suggested that EIN is safe and effective to be adopted by intrajejunal delivery of nutrients in SAP, decreases the occurrence of gut bacterial translocation, and improves the gut barrier function.