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A peritonitis model with low mortality and persisting intra‐abdominal abscesses
Author(s) -
Buyne Otmar R.,
Bleichrodt Robert P.,
Verweij Paul E.,
Groenewoud Hans M. M.,
Van Goor Harry,
Hendriks Thijs
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
international journal of experimental pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.671
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1365-2613
pISSN - 0959-9673
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2613.2006.00488.x
Subject(s) - peritonitis , laparotomy , peritoneal fluid , medicine , bacteremia , abdomen , peritoneal cavity , abdominal cavity , sepsis , abscess , surgery , gastroenterology , feces , antibiotics , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
Summary Intra‐abdominal abscesses are a potential source of recurrent or residual infection after surgical intervention for secondary peritonitis. The development of therapies requires a model which combines low mortality with the formation of persisting abscesses and which is also suitable to study the local inflammatory response. Male Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally with a mixture of sterile rat faeces, increasing doses of E. coli (10 4 −10 8 cfu/ml) and a fixed dose of B. Fragilis (10 4 cfu/ml). After one h a laparotomy was performed and the peritoneal cavity was debrided. Blood samples were taken under anaesthesia after 6 and 24 h. Abdominal fluid samples were collected (by laparotomy) after 24 and 72 h. The rats were killed after 5 days and the abdomen was inspected for abscesses. Mortality was 90% in the two groups with the highest doses of E. coli and 30% in those with the two lowest doses. In the latter groups all surviving rats but one showed intraabdominal abscesses and bacteremia was encountered frequently, especially after 24 h in the 10 5 cfu E. coli group. The groups receiving 10 4 −10 6 cfu E. coli showed similar plasma IL‐6 concentrations after 6 h which were lowered significantly after 24 h. No circulating TNF‐ α was found. Considerable concentrations of TNF‐ α , IL‐6, IL‐1 β , and IL‐10, were found in the peritoneal fluid after 24 h but no differences were observed between the contro groups and those receiving 10 4 −10 6 cfu E. coli. At 72 h cytokine levels were reduced significantly and remained the highest in the animals dosed with 10 6 cfu E. coli. The present model is suitable to study the mechanisms involved in, and prevention of, intra‐abdominal abscess formation after surgical treatment of generalized peritonitis.