Endotoxinemia in patients with obstructive jaundice is linked to acute renal failure and sepsis and remains a major cause of complications during postoperative treatment. The current study examines the mechanisms of endotoxinemia in the portal and the systemic circulation in obstructive jaundice. As an experimental model of the disease we used rabbits subjected to sham operation. Serum total bilirubin aminotransferases and endotoxin concentrations were determined at 2, 5, 8, and 13 days after operation. Endotoxin concentrations were estimated by the limulus lysate endotoxin test. A high frequency of portal or systemic endotoxinemia is observed in obstructive jaundice, but no difference between endotoxinemia levels in the portal and systemic circulation was observed.
A drastic change in a human 's way of life is known to lead to dramatic modi cations in intestinal microbial balance. The effects of mild stress of everyda y life have, however , been poorly investigated . In this study, we have attempted to assess whether nal written examinatio n stress modi es the faecal microbiota in healthy youn g adults. Diet was standardised and faeca l samples collected during two period s of 48 h each , the rst 6 weeks before and the second during the nal written examination. F aecal hydratio n as well as count s in total aerobes, anaerobes, enterobacteria, enterococci, Clostridium perfringens and bi dobacteria were determined. Bi dobacteria, enterococci and enterobacteria did not show any signi cant variation. A signi cant rise in C. perfringens count s was observed throughou t this examination period . It preceded the increase in faeca l hydration only observed after a change in diet. Since psychologica l stress is known to increase intestinal mucin release, C. perfringens overgrowt h might re ect a better adaptation to substrates provided by the stressed host.
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