[Value of intestinal decontamination by traditional Chinese medicine-X in the prevention of bacterial translocation complicated by severe acute pancreatitis in rats].

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of traditional Chinese Medicine-X in preventing the necrotic infection of the pancreas in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Sixty rats were randomly divided into five groups with 12 rats in each one: (1) normal control, (2) SAP + 0.9% normal saline (1 ml x 100 g-1 x 24 h-1), (3) SAP + gentamycin (2000 u x 100 g-1 x 24 h-1), (4) SAP + TCM-X (1.0 g x 100 g-1 x 24 h-1), and (5) SAP + gentamycin (2000 u x 100 g-1 x 24 h-1) + TCM-X (1.0 g x 100 g-1 x 24 h-1). The medicines were given by way of gastrotube, once every 24 hours, twice in all. Pancreatitis was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of 500 mg.100 g-1 of L-arginine. Serum endotoxin were observed and the clone forming units from mesenteric lymphnode and pancreas were obtained after 48 hours treatment. 96 hours after the experiment, the bacteria found in the mesenteric lymphnodes and pancreas in groups three, four and five were reduced as compared to that in group two; the levels of serum endotoxin were reduced, too. These data indicate that TCM-X and gentamycin in decontamination by way of gastrotube are effective in preventing bacterial translocation complicated by SAP, and the effect of TCM-X is stronger than that of gentamycin.