A Single Dose of Endotoxin Increases Intestinal Permeability

[j.]

A Single Dose of Endotoxin Increases Intestinal Permeability in Healthy Humans

To investigate the effects of endotoxin on gut barrier function, we performed paired studies of intestinal permeability in healthy humans (N=12) receiving intravenous Escherichia coli endotoxin (4 ng/kg) or 0.9% saline solution. Two nonmetabolizable sugars, lactulose and mannitol, which are standard permeability markers, were administered orally, 30 minutes before and 120 minutes after the test injection. The 12-hour urinary excretion of these substances after endotoxin/saline solution administration was used to quantitate intestinal permeability. After endotoxin administration systemic absorption and excretion of lactulose increased almost two-fold (mean±SEM, 263±36 μmol per 12 hours vs 145±19 μmol per 12 hours during saline studies). Similar but less marked alterations in mannitol absorption and excretion occurred after endotoxin injection (5.7 ± 0.3 mmol per 12 hours vs 4.9±0.3 mmol per 12 hours). When individual 12-hour lactulose excretion after endotoxin administration was related to the magnitude of systemic responses, a significant relationship occurred between lactulose excretion and elaboration of norepinephrine and between lactulose excretion and minimum white blood cell count. These data suggest that a brief exposure to circulating endotoxin increases the permeability of the normal gut. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that during critical illness, prolonged or repeated exposure to systemic endotoxins or associated cytokines may significantly compromise the integrity of the gastrointestinal mucosal barrier.

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[jyb]

Re: A Single Dose of Endotoxin Increases Intestinal Permeabi

What's the reason for reduced barrier when there is an endotoxin challenge? Or is there nothing useful with the reduced barrier, it is just a side effect of a weakened immune system?

 

[j.]

Re: A Single Dose of Endotoxin Increases Intestinal Permeabi

What's the reason for reduced barrier when there is an endotoxin challenge? Or is there nothing useful with the reduced barrier, it is just a side effect of a weakened immune system?

If it's adaptive or maladaptive?

Since a reduced barrier allows more endotoxin to get in, it doesn't seem good. Since intense stress also reduces the barrier(*), it seems it's a bad consequence of stress in general.

(*) I think I read that in a Peat article.

 

[sm1693]

Re: A Single Dose of Endotoxin Increases Intestinal Permeabi

What's the reason for reduced barrier when there is an endotoxin challenge? Or is there nothing useful with the reduced barrier, it is just a side effect of a weakened immune system?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25676324

This points the finger at industrial food additives affecting the intestinal tight junctions...

 

[tara]

Re: A Single Dose of Endotoxin Increases Intestinal Permeabi

What's the reason for reduced barrier when there is an endotoxin challenge? Or is there nothing useful with the reduced barrier, it is just a side effect of a weakened immune system?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25676324

This points the finger at industrial food additives affecting the intestinal tight junctions...

It claims that salt and glucose, along with other industrial food additives, "all of the aforementioned additives increase intestinal permeability by breaching the integrity of tight junction paracellular transfer".
I'm hoping that's not true for salt and glucose.

 

[jyb]

Re: A Single Dose of Endotoxin Increases Intestinal Permeabi

It claims that salt and glucose, along with other industrial food additives, "all of the aforementioned additives increase intestinal permeability by breaching the integrity of tight junction paracellular transfer".
I'm hoping that's not true for salt and glucose.

It's not the first time I read this for glucose. No idea about salt though. Sat fat would be meant to protect against that problem, though. I haven't researched this much, what happens if you eat both at the same time?