Effect of fiber supplementation of liquid diet on cecal bacteria and bacterial translocation in mice.

Liquid Isosource was supplemented with soy fiber (Isosource-soy) or guar fiber (Isosource-guar) to study the effects of fiber supplementation of a liquid diet on the composition of mouse cecal flora and on the incidence of bacterial translocation, quantified as the number of mice with viable intestinal bacteria recovered from mesenteric lymph nodes. Mice fed chow, Isosource, Isosource-soy, or Isosource-guar had similar concentrations of cecal bacteria and similarly low incidences of bacterial translocation. In separate experiments, mice were given parenteral metronidazole or parenteral lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce cecal bacterial overgrowth and bacterial translocation. Compared with mice treated with diet alone, metronidazole- or LPS-treated mice had high numbers of cecal bacteria and high incidences of bacterial translocation. However, among the dietary groups of LPS-treated mice, the incidence of translocation was significantly less in mice fed Isosource-soy or Isosource-guar compared with mice fed unsupplemented Isosource. These results suggest that soy or guar supplementation of Isosource might be beneficial in some circumstances.