Effects of enteral and parenteral nutrition on gut epithelial tight junction and immune barrier of rats with abdominal infection

Objective To investigate the effect of enteral and parenteral nutrition on gut microecology in rats with abdominal infection. Methods Fourteen Sprague-Dawley (SD) model rats of abdominal infection, which had survived for more than 6 days were divided into two groups: PN group ( n =7) and PN+EN group ( n =7) via jejunostomy and jugular vein respectively for another 5 days. The nutrition support in the two groups was isonitrogen and isocaloric. At sacrifice on the sixth day, occludin and IgA level in plasma cells of intestine epithelium of the gut were measured by immunohistochemistry. Vena cava blood and homogenated tissue of liver, lung and mesenteric lymph nodes were cultured to determine bacterial translocations, and portal vein blood was tested for endotoxin. Results The expression of occludin and IgA in the small and large intestine in PN+EN group were stronger than PN group ( P 0.05, P 0.01). Bacterial translocations in blood, liver, lung and mesenteric lymph nodes, and the level of endotoxin were significantly reduced in PN+EN group ( P 0.05, P 0.01). Conclusion PN+EN may increase the expression of transmember binding proteins and IgA, maintaining the intestinal epithelial tight junction and the immune function, hence decreasing gut bacterial translocations.