Bacterial translocation aggravates CCl₄-induced liver cirrhosis by regulating CD4⁺ T cells in rats

Bacterial translocation (BT) is thought to play an important role in the development of liver cirrhosis, but the mechanisms have not been fully explored. This study aims to investigate the distribution of Treg (CD3⁺CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺), Th17 (CD3⁺CD4⁺IL-17⁺), and Th1 (CD3⁺CD4⁺IFN-γ⁺) cells in the intestinal lamina propria, liver and blood and to explore their relationships with BT. Cirrhotic rats with ascites were induced by CCl₄. We found that there were lower levels of total protein and albumin, lower albumin/globulin ratio, lower body weight and higher spleen weight and ascites volume in cirrhotic rats with than without BT. We found that BT may cause increase of Treg cells in the proximal small intestine and decrease of Th17 cells in the whole intestine and blood in cirrhotic rats. It may also aggravate the CCl₄-induced decrease in Th1 cells in the whole intestine, liver, caecum, and blood and the CCl₄-induced increase in Th17 cells in the liver and Tregs in the distal small intestine, colon, and liver. Our data suggest that BT may aggravate liver injury and decrease liver function via an interaction with CD4⁺ T Cells. The results of this study may be helpful for the development of new treatments for liver cirrhosis.