Objective: Bacterial translocation from the gut has been invoked as a common inciting event
for postinjury multiple organ failure. We previously showed that gut ischemia/reperfusion
induces remote organ injury. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if endotoxin has a
pivotal mechanistic role in this process. Design: Prospective, randomized study. Setting:
Animal laboratory. Subjects: Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 300 to 350 g. Interventions:
Anesthetized animals underwent 45 mins of superior mesenteric artery occlusion and 2 hrs …