Effect of lactulose on bacterial translocation.

OBJECTIVE

To find out if lactulose can prevent the bacterial translocation that is induced by obstructive jaundice in rats.

DESIGN

Laboratory experiment.

SETTING

Teaching hospital, Turkey.

MATERIAL: 50 male Wistar-albino rats.

INTERVENTIONS: 10 rats were not operated on and used as controls; 20 rats underwent laparotomy and sham ligation of the common bile duct (CBD); 20 had the CBD ligated alone; and 20 had the CBD ligated and were given oral lactulose 2 ml/day until death. All rats were killed after 14 days.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence of Escherichia coli in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), and bacterial overgrowth as indicated by counts of E coli in the caecum.

RESULTS

There was significantly less bacterial translocation to MLN in the group that had been given lactulose compared with CBD-ligated and lactulose not given (2/20 compared with 8/20, p = 0.06). There was also a significant reduction in the number of Gram negative bacteria in that group (p = < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Lactulose seems to reduce the incidence of translocation from the gut to MLN in rats with obstructive jaundice.