The Effects of Excessive Bacterial Proliferation on Protein Metabolism in Rats with Self‐Filling Jejunal Sacs

Abstract

Abstract. Rats with surgically created self‐filling sacs of jejunum (approximately 6 cm long at operation) grew more slowly than controls and reached a final weight of 300 ± 26 g compared with controls 370±12g. The blind loop animals excreted twice as much fat in the faeces as normal animals. In addition, increased amounts of protein metabolites were detected in the urine of blind loop animals. Indican was increased by 120%, indolyl‐3‐acetic acid by 30%, amines by 10%, hippuric acid by 66% and total phenols by 130%. It is suggested that these metabolic abnormalities contribute to the impairment of growth of animals with intestinal stagnant loops. Mean bacterial concentrations were 100‐fold greater throughout the small intestine of blind loop animals. This increase was due principally to an increased number of anaerobic organisms and was associated with deconjugation and dehydroxylation of bile acids. Lincomycin was more effective than neomycin in controlling steatorrhoea, and in preventing the deconjugation and dehydroxylation of bile acids. Both antibiotics were equally effective in reducing the excretion of bacterial metabolites in the urine of blind loop animals.