Effect of Obstructive Jaundice and Nitric Oxide on the Profiles of Intestinal Bacterial Flora in Wild and iNOS−/− Mice

• Published in: Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition Vol. 44; no. 2; pp. 160 - 167
• Main Authors: Hong, Ji-Young, Sato, Eisuke F., Nishikawa, Tomoko, Hiramoto, Keiichi, Inoue, Masayasu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan SOCIETY FOR FREE RADICAL RESEARCH JAPAN 01-03-2009; Japan Science and Technology Agency; the Society for Free Radical Research Japan
• Subjects: endotoxemia; intestinal flora; nitric oxide; obstructive jaundice; Original; T-RFLP; nitric oxide; obstructive jaundice; T-RFLP; endotoxemia; intestinal flora
• ISSN: 0912-0009; 1880-5086
• DOI: 10.3164/jcbn.08-213

We previously reported that the plasma level of endotoxin and colonic expression of IgA in the mouse increased with obstructive jaundice induced by bile duct ligation (BDL). To elucidate the mechanism of the BDL-induced increase, we analyzed the effect of BDL on intestinal flora in wild type and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-deficient mice (iNOS−/−) using the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (T-RFLP) and 16S rDNA clone libraries. The amounts of bacterial DNA detected in fecal samples from both animal groups pretreated with antibiotics were extremely low as compared with untreated groups. We found that the profiles of enteric bacteria changed markedly after BDL. The bacterial composition is significantly different between not only wild type and iNOS−/− mice but also those before and after BDL, respectively. Among enteric bacteria examined, Lactobacillus murinus was found to increase markedly after BDL in rectum of both animal groups. However, Escherichia coli markedly increased after BDL in the iNOS−/− mice. These findings suggest that profiles of enteric flora change markedly in animals during obstructive jaundice by some mechanism that is affected by bile constituents and iNOS-derived NO.