[Qualitative and Quantitative Detection of Bacterial Flora in Experimental Blind Loop Syndrome of the Rat]

In the blind loop syndrome bacterial overgrowth--accompanied by an increase in bile acid deconjugation--is thought to be responsible for the observed morphological alterations of the small intestinal mucosa with its concomitant malabsorption syndrome. Since in this chain of events the bacterial overgrowth is of primary importance, we have performed a complete qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the intraluminal flora in rats with surgically created self-filling blind loops. The results show a significant increase in bacteria of the aerobic growing genera E. coli and Streptococcus (Enterococcus), and of the anaerobic growing genus Bacteroides, in one single rat also of the genera Lactobacillus/Bifidobacterium. In order to elucidate which strains of bacteria are predominantly responsible for the morphological and functional alterations observed in the stagnant loop syndrome, germ-free rats with self-filling blind loops should be contaminated selectively with bacteria of these genera.