The effects of ciprofloxacin and ursodeoxycholic acid on bacterial translocation in obstructive jaundice.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We aimed to search the effects of two different drugs in bacterial translocation, both in combination and alone: ursodeoxycholic acid, the effectiveness of which was evidenced previously, and ciprofloxacin, which had not been used before, in an experimental obstructive jaundiced rat model.

METHODS

Fifty Wistar Albino rats were divided into five groups: sham group (A), control group (B), ciprofloxacin group (C), ursodeoxycholic acid group (D), and ciprofloxacin + ursodeoxycholic acid group (E). Except in Group A animals, the common bile ducts in all animals were ligated. Hematological, microbiological and histopathological changes were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

White blood cell counts were elevated in all common bile duct-ligated test subjects. The median white blood cell count in Group B was significantly higher than that in Group D and Group E (p=0.022 and p=0.037, respectively). There was no significant difference between the control group and the study groups in terms of biochemical changes. Blood cultures were negative in Group A and Group E. The positive blood culture rate in Group B was significantly higher than in Groups A and E (p<0.05). Positive mesenteric lymph node culture rate was significantly lower in Group E than in the control group (p=0.026). In the histopathological evaluation, there was no difference in the morphology of the terminal ileum between the groups, but Group E animals had significantly less inflammatory cells in the intestinal wall compared to Group C and D animals.

CONCLUSIONS

Ciprofloxacin and ursodeoxycholic acid have a synergic effect on prevention of bacterial translocation in obstructive jaundice.