Evidence that orthotopic transposition following rat heterotopic small bowel transplantation corrects overgrowth of potentially pathogenic bacteria

An overgrowth of pathogenic organisms occurs following rat heterotopic small bowel transplantation. This study assessed whether the bacterial microflora return to normal following subsequent orthotopic transposition of the graft. After 14 days the heterotopic graft was placed into continuity following resection of 15 cm of the host midintestinal loop. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the intraluminal bacteria were performed studying the resected host intestine, the heterotopic graft at 14 days, and the graft 14 days after transposition. A group of normal rats were used as controls. An overgrowth of Staphylococcus epidermidis evident in the heterotopic graft at 14 days returned to a more normal bacterial profile following orthotopic transposition. These findings suggest that early interposition of a small bowel graft into an orthotopic position may prevent an alteration in the small bowel ecology toward potentially pathogenic organisms capable of translocation.