Abstract:
Background : In severe acute pancreatitis the pancreas can become infected. Lymph can act as a conduit for bacteria from the intestine. Mesenteric lymph (ML) changes dramatically in composition during acute disease states. It is unknown whether these changes inhibit or promote bacterial growth. Aims : The aim of this study was to determine the effect of acute and chronic disease-conditioned ML on bacterial growth. Materials & methods : ML was sourced from four animal models (n = 5 per group): i) Acute Pancreatitis [AP], ii) Hemorrhagic Shock [HS], iii) Diabetes Mellitus [DM] and iv) Control [C] (normal lymph). Five bacterial species were studied: E.coli, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, E.faecalis, and P. oxytoca . Bacteria were seeded as low and high concentration inoculums into the ML, and bacterial growth measured after incubation for 4 and 24 hours. Results : In all ML groups, after a low concentration innoculation, the concentration of S. aureus , E.faecalis , and P. oxytoca increased, while E. coli and K. pneumoniae were inhibited by control lymph. After a high concentration inoculation, bacterial growth was promoted in all disease conditioned ML, except that DM- and AP-conditioned ML inhibited the growth of S. aureus and E. fecalis . HS conditioned ML promoted the growth of all bacteria types at both low and high concentration inoculations. Conclusion : There was a complex interaction between bacterial species, inoculum concentration, and disease state. Disease conditioned ML does not consistently inhibit or promote the growth of translocating bacteria. Further research will be required to develop strategies to prevent or treat bacteria in ML during severe illness.