Comparison of translocation rates of various indigenous bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract to the mesenteric lymph node

Abstract

Bacterial translocation is defined as the passage of indigenous bacteria from the gastroin-testinal (01) tract through the lamina propria to the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and other organs. We compared the relative abilities of various aerobic; facultatively anaero-bic, and obligately anaerobic bacteria to translocate from the OJ tract to the MLN in gnotobiotic mice colonized with single strains of bacteria. Indigenous gram-negative en-teric bacilli translocated in large numbers to the MLN, whereas gram-positive bacteria translocated at intermediate levelsand obligately anaerobic bacteria at only very low lev-els.Our results suggest that enteric bacilli such as Escherichia coli,Proteus, and Enterobac-ter are associated with a higher incidence of bacteremia in debilitated patients, because these bacteria translocate more efficiently from the OJ tract than do other bacteria, espe-cially obligate anaerobes. The epithelial lining of the gastrointestinal (GJ) tract of adult mammals was once considered to be im-penetrable to macromolecules and particulate ma-terial. We have described the passage of indigenou