Protein Malnutrition Predisposes to Inflammatory-induced Gut-origin Septic States

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Abstract
The development of an uncontrolled inflammatory response has been implicated in the pathogenesis of adult respiratory distress syndrome and multiple-organ failure. Because zymosan activates complement and induces a systemic inflammatory response, the effect of zymosan on intestinal structure and barrier function was measured in normally nourished (NN) and protein malnourished (PM) mice. Normally nourished and protein malnourished (up to 21 days) mice challenged intraperitoneally with zymosan (0.1 mg/g body weight) were killed 24 hours after zymosan challenge and their organs cultured for translocating bacteria. Zymosan-induced bacterial translocation was limited to the mesenteric lymph nodes of the NN mice, whereas translocating bacteria spread from the gut to the liver, spleen, and blood stream (p