Relationship between Plasma ?-endorphin or Dynorphin A and Immune Function after Burn Injury in Rats / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

The immune function of rats was markedly suppressed following burn injury. At 24 h after burn, the lymphoproliferative response to Con A and IL-1 and IL-2 production in burned rats were significantly reduced, as compared with control animals. At 72 h after burn the immune parameters as above were at the lowerest levels. At 120 h after burn, a slight elevation of immune function was observed, but still lower than the levels of controls. The results of radioimmunoassay of ?-endorphin and dynorphin A in plasma showed that the concentration of ?-endorphin in plasma was not markedly changed after burn except at 2 h after injury, and that of dynorphin A in plasma was reduced markedly after burn injury. The dynamic change of circulating dynorphin A in plasma was coincident with that of immune function. Our results suggest that burn-induced immunosuppression may be related to decrease of circulating dynorphin A levels.