In mouse and in vitro models, bowel preparation promotes pathogen colonization, translocation, and exacerbation of inflammation

In the United States, an estimated 14 million colonoscopies are performed yearly, each requiring patients to undergo bowel preparation, a laxative cleansing of the intestine's luminal contents. Despite its widespread use, the effects of bowel preparation on gut physiology and susceptibility to pathogens remain poorly understood, particularly in individuals with compromised gut health. Using mouse and in vitro models, we find that bowel preparation with the laxative polyethylene glycol rapidly disrupts the gut, transiently increasing susceptibility to infection by Salmonella Typhimurium, including a non-motile mutant, and by gut pathobionts derived from ulcerative colitis microbiota. Bowel preparation also facilitates bacterial translocation to extraintestinal sites (mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, and spleen) and exacerbates inflammation in a chemically induced colitis model. Although these findings are preclinical, they suggest that bowel preparation may have underappreciated risks in vulnerable populations and warrant further clinical investigation.

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Publication Details

Journal
Cell Reports Medicine
Published
2025-12-22
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102517
Primary Topic
Colorectal Cancer Screening and Detection
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

In mouse and in vitro models, bowel preparation promotes pathogen colonization, translocation, and exacerbation of inflammation

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Colorectal Cancer Screening and Detection
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In mouse and in vitro models, bowel preparation promotes pathogen colonization, translocation, and exacerbation of inflammation

Carolina Tropini, Dominique Tertigas, Bruce A. Vallance, Alexander Pei, Deanna M. Pepin, Katharine M. Ng, Giselle McCallum, Charlotte A Clayton, Imogen Porter, Touran Fardeen, Bohan Deng, Jerry He, S Sinha, Claire Sie, Apsara Srinivas, Michael G. Surette
article en

Abstract

In the United States, an estimated 14 million colonoscopies are performed yearly, each requiring patients to undergo bowel preparation, a laxative cleansing of the intestine's luminal contents. Despite its widespread use, the effects of bowel preparation on gut physiology and susceptibility to pathogens remain poorly understood, particularly in individuals with compromised gut health. Using mouse and in vitro models, we find that bowel preparation with the laxative polyethylene glycol rapidly disrupts the gut, transiently increasing susceptibility to infection by Salmonella Typhimurium, including a non-motile mutant, and by gut pathobionts derived from ulcerative colitis microbiota. Bowel preparation also facilitates bacterial translocation to extraintestinal sites (mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, and spleen) and exacerbates inflammation in a chemically induced colitis model. Although these findings are preclinical, they suggest that bowel preparation may have underappreciated risks in vulnerable populations and warrant further clinical investigation.

Cell Reports MedicineVol. 7(1)
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CA), University of British Columbia (CA), Genome British Columbia (CA), BC Children's Hospital (CA), Stanford University (US), McMaster University (CA)
Openalex Percentile: Top 32%
Colorectal Cancer Screening and Detection
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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