The effects of ABT‐229 and octreotide on interdigestive small bowel motility, bacterial overgrowth and bacterial translocation in rats

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Abstract
Background: Interdigestive small bowel motility has a regulatory function on the microflora of the upper small bowel. Here we investigate the effects of ABT‐229 and octreotide on morphine‐induced dysmotility, the accompanying bacterial overgrowth and bacterial translocation.Methods: Rats were fitted with jejunal myoelectrodes and a subcutaneous cannula for continuous infusion of saline or morphine. Fasting motility was measured for 6 h on four occasions: one control measurement (day 0) and three measurements on consecutive days (days 1–3) while receiving saline alone (group A), morphine alone (group B), saline + ABT‐229 (group C), morphine + ABT‐229 (group D), saline + octreotide (group E) or morphine + octreotide (group F). Samples from the mesenteric lymph node complex (MLN), liver, spleen, duodenum and ileum were taken for quantitative microbial culturing on day 4.Results: Neither ABT‐229 nor octreotide increased the number of propagated activity fronts during saline infusion. During morphine‐induced dysmotility, ABT‐229 induced more propagated activity fronts in group D (13.4, 9.8 and 8.8 per 6 h) than in group B (7.0, 4.5, 3.8 per 6 h) on days 1, 2 and 3 (P < 0.05 for all days) Octreotide did not induce more propagated activity fronts. Disruption of small bowel motility by morphine led to bacterial overgrowth in the duodenum. ABT‐229 and octreotide did not reduce the bacterial growth levels. The total incidence of bacterial translocation was significantly higher in the morphine‐treated animals than in the saline‐treated animals. Neither ABT‐229 nor octreotide reduced the bacterial translocation incidence. The number of propagated activity fronts on day 3 and duodenal bacterial growth correlated significantly in groups A, E and F.Conclusions: ABT‐229, but not octreotide, reduced morphine‐induced dysmotility. Small bowel bacterial overgrowth and bacterial translocation were not prevented. Fasting small bowel motility has a regulatory function on the intestinal microflora of the upper small bowel.