Background/Aims: Translocation of indigenous bacterial from the gut lumen of cirrhotic
animals to mesenteric lymph nodes appears to be an important step in the pathogenesis of
spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. However, the sequence of events leading to translocation
remains unclear. One of the most predictable risk factors for translocation is overgrowth of
gut bacterial flora. The present study was designed to compare the intestinal aerobic
bacterial flora of cecal stools at the time of sacrifice between cirrhotic and normal rats and to …