Gastrointestinal decontamination of dogs treated with total body irradiation and bone marrow transplantation.

Procedures for total and selective gastrointestinal decontamination of dogs are described. The selective procedure removed only Gram negative aerobic bacteria, yeast and fungi. Dogs receiving total decontamination were less susceptible to the GI syndrome following total body irradiation (TBI) than dogs receiving conventional care. After TBI and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, serum albumin levels decreased in conventional animals, but remained normal in totally or selectively decontaminated animals. Exogenous infections occurred frequently in both irradiated, and totally decontaminated animals, but were absent in selectively decontaminated animals. Endogenous infections after total body irradiation were prevented only by total decontamination. Endogenous infections occurred in selectively decontaminated animals, but with milder clinical symptoms than in conventional animals. Appearance of donor type leukocytes and serum gamma globulin was slower in decontaminated animals than in conventionally treated controls. Acute graft versus host disease caused by a limited number of lymphocytes of a DLA identical littermate donor were prevented by selective gastrointestinal decontamination. Complications due to late immune reconstitution obscured the effect of decontamination on delayed graft versus host disease.