Bacterial translocation in burned mice after administration of various diets including fiber- and glutamine-enriched enteral formulas

Objective: Severe burn injury can produce acute gastrointestinal derangements which may facilitate bacterial translocation to mesenteric lymph nodes. We studied the effects of feeding different dietary formulations on bacterial translocation in burned mice. Design: Prospective, blinded, nonrandomized laboratory study. Setting: Research laboratory. Subjects: One hundred sixty-nine female, outbred, CF-1 mice, 8 to 12 wks of age. Interventions: Anesthetized mice received a 32% total body surface area, full-thickness burn injury. Mice were then fed with: a) mouse chow; b) a low- residue enteral formula; c) a high-protein, high-fat enteral formula; d) an enteral formula with high concentrations of supplemental glutamine; or e) an enteral formula that contains soy fiber. Measurements and Main Results: Burned mice that were fed the low-residue enteral formula demonstrated increased mortality rate (21.2%, p = .05) compared with chow-fed mice in the 2-day postburn period (0 mortality); other burn-diet groups had intermediate mortality rates. In surviving mice, bacterial translocation was found to be: a) lowest in the group fed chow (31.0%) and the high glutamine formula (30.8%); b) intermediate in the group fed formula and soy fiber (44.8%, NS compared with burn-chow group); and c) highest in the group receiving the low-residue enteral formula (73.1%, p < .005) and high-protein, high-fat enteral formula (59.3%, p < .05). Conclusions: Dietary composition markedly affects bacterial translocation in this animal burn model. Commercial enteral diets containing fiber and high concentrations of glutamine provide protection for the gut after burn injury and reduce the occurrence of bacterial translocation in this animal model.