Changes of gut flora and endotoxin in rats with D-galactosamine-induced acute liver failure

AIM:To investigate.the changes of gut microflora andendotoxin levels in rats with acute liver failure (ALF) inducedby D-galactosamine (GAIN).METHODS:Flora and endotoxin levels in the jejunum,ileumand colon in normal rats (group A) and rats with GaIN-induced ALF were determined at 24 h (group B) or 48 h(group C) after GaIN injection,as well as the endotoxin levelin portal venous blood (PVB) and right ventricle blood (RVB)were determined by chromogenic limulus amoebocyte assay.RESULTS:Intestinal (jejunum,ileum,colon) lactobacilluscount was statistically reduced in group B compared withthose in group A (3.4±0.3 vs 4.9±0.3,6.1±0.4 vs 8.0±0.3,8.1±0.2 vs 9.3±0.2,P<0.001,P<0.001 and P<0.001respectively) and recovered partially in the group C comparedwith those in the group B,whereas the count ofEnterobacteriaceae in the jejunum,ileum and colon ingroup B was increased markedly compared with thosein the group A (5.1±0.3 vs3.6±0.2,6.9±0.5 vs 5.3±0.3,8.7±0.2 vs 7.6±0.1,P<0.001,P<0.05 and P<0.05 respectively)and restored partially in the group C compared with thosein the group B.The endotoxin level in ileum was increasedin the group B compared with those in the group A(111.3±22.8 vs 51.5±8.9,P<0.05).In addition,theendotoxin level in PVB was obviously increased in groupB compared with that in the group A (76.8±9.1 vs40.6±7.3,P<0.01) and reduced to the baseline at 48 h (group C).CONCLUSION:Severely disturbed gut flora in rats withGaiN-induced acute liver failure plays an important role inthe elevation of endotoxin level in PVB.