This study was performed to elucidate the role of bacterial infection in acute pancreatitis in young female mice fed a choline-deficient diet supplemented with 0.5 DL-ethionine (CDE diet). Mice were randomly classified into two groups: one had been fed CDE diet alone (nonantibiotic group), the other was fed a CDE diet with oral administration of antibiotics (antibiotic group). Survival rates at 96 and 144 h after introduction of the CDE diet were significantly improved in the antibiotic group, 25.0 and 19.4, respectively, as compared with 3.6 and 0 in the nonantibiotic group (p, 0.05). Aerobic and anaerobic bacterial cultures of blood, ascites, spleen, and pancreas were taken from living mice 72 h after introduction of the CDE diet. Positive bacterial growth from one or more of the specimens occurred in 29.4 of the nonantibiotic group, and in 10.0 of the antibiotic group. Mice with pancreatic necrosis had a higher positive culture rate, 62.5 in the nonantibiotic group vs 20.0 in the antibiotic group. These results suggest that reduction of intestinal flora in mice inhibits secondary infection caused by bacterial transloca-tion and improves survival in diet-induced hemorrhagic pancreatitis. We believe the development of bacterial infection of gut origin may be a factor influencing mortality in severe pancreatitis.
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