Effects of epinephrine on early inflammatory cytokines and acute lung injury in endotoxemic rats / 中国小儿急救医学

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effects of epinephrine in sepsis-associated lung injury in rats. Methods Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into three groups(n =10 per group)control group received intravenous 0. 9% saline 2. 4 ml/( kg·h ); LPS group received intravenous LPS ( 6 mg/kg ); epi-nephrine treatment group received an infusion of epinephrine 0. 6μg/( kg·min) after LPS intravenous injec-tion . Blood samples were taken at 2 h and 6 h after LPS injection and the levels of serum tumor necrosis factor ( TNF)-α,interleukin( IL)-6 and IL-10 were detected. The rats were sacrificed at 6 h. The lung tissues and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid( BALF) were collected. Pathological changes of the lung tissues were observed under light microscope. Water content of lung,expression of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-10 in BALF and in serum were detected. Results (1) The water content of lung in LPS group significantly increased compared with that in control group(85. 24% ± 5. 87% vs. 70. 19% ± 5. 87%) and epinephrine group(78. 00% ± 6. 41%) (P<0. 05). (2)Pathological examination showed that LPS could cause pulmonary capillary hyperemia,ede-ma,inflammatory cells infiltration. Atelectasis and alveolar edema were found in small number of lung tissue. Compared with LPS group, epinephrine ameliorated the lung pathological injury. ( 3 ) Compared with LPS group,serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 significantly decreased ( P <0. 05 ) , whereas IL-10 increased ( P <0. 05) in epinephrine group. (4)Compared with LPS group,BALF levels of TNF-α[(78 ± 9)ng/L vs. (102 ±16)ng/L]andIL-6[(268±42)ng/Lvs.(347±50)ng/L]significantlydepressed(P<0.05),whereas BALFlevelsofIL-10[(210±23)ng/Lvs.(146±34) ng/L]elevated(P <0.05) inepinephrinegroup. Conclusion Epinephrine could reduce the acute lung injury caused by LPS. Its protective effect may be re-lated to decreasing the levels of TNF-α and IL-6,elevating IL-10 level.