Our aims were to study the influence of the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) of rats on systemic lipopolysaccharide and to identify the factor that affects the intestinal endotoxin translocation.

Ninety-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a sham-operation group (S group) and a cecal ligation and perforation group (CLP group). Twenty-four hours after modeling, we tested the Th1/Th2 ratio and percentage of CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ Treg in the MLN. At the same time, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the abdominal aortic blood was detected.

In the CLP group, the Th1/Th2 ratio was obviously lower than in the S group. Otherwise, the percentage of CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ Treg of the CLP group was significantly higher than the S group. In the abdominal aortic blood, the LPS level of the CLP group was also higher than in the S group. Through correlation analysis, we found that the level of LPS was positively correlated with the percentage of CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ Treg, and negatively correlated with the Th1/Th2 ratio.

This model reveals that the immune suppression of the MLN might affect the level of LPS in the abdominal aortic blood, which might play a certain role in affecting the endotoxin translocation.