Objective: This study has the purpose of determining if pneumoperitoneum with CO2 develops bacterial translocation in normal rats and in rats submitted to induced colitis. Methods: 60 rats, divided into six groups of 10 animals, were utilized. In the sham group, laparotomy, abdominal organ manipulation, and suture of the wall were performed; the two pneumoperitoneum groups were submitted to pneumoperitoneum for one and three hours, respectively. In the colitis group, colitis was induced, laparotomy, abdominal organ manipulation and suture of the wall were performed. In the two colitis pneumoperitoneum groups colitis was induced plus pneumoperitoneum for one and three hours, respectively. After the animals were sacrificed, kidneys, spleens, livers, and mesenteric lymph nodes were collected. In the animals submitted to induced colitis, 2 cm of colon were resected for histologic analysis. The resected organs were analyzed for the presence of E. coli and Enterococcus faecallis in order to check bacterial translocation. Results: No statistic difference was found in the groups submitted to colitis. The bacterial translocation is no dependent on the genus of bacteria. There is no increase in bacterial translocation due to the duration of pneumoperitoneum (one and three hours) either in normal rats or in those submitted to induced colitis. Conclusion: Pneumoperitoneum induces bacterial translocation in normal rats and increases it in rats submitted to induced colitis.
Pneumoperitoneum; Bacterial translocation; Carbon dioxide; Rats
