Published in:
01-12-2009 | Original Research Paper
Recombinant human growth hormone improves survival and protects against acute lung injury in murine Staphylococcus aureus sepsis
Published in: Inflammation Research | Issue 12/2009
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Objective
To investigate whether recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) reduces mortality and protects against Staphylococcus aureus sepsis-induced acute lung injury.
Methods
The bacteria-positive rate of blood smears and bacteria colony counts in bacteria plate culture, TNFα and IL-10 plasma levels, lung injury score, expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) as well as activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in the lungs were determined 6, 12 and 24 h after 140 KM mice were injected with physiologic saline (i.p. group C, n = 20); S. aureus E311122 (1.75 × 1012 cfu/L, 40 ml/kg, i.p. group S, n = 60); or S. aureus (as group S) with a subsequent treatment of rhGH (1.0 U kg−1 day−1), i.m. group T, n = 60). The cumulative survival rate of an additional 15 mice from each group was followed for 7 days post S. aureus injection.
Results
rhGH treatment significantly increased IL-10 plasma levels and the 7-day cumulative survival rate, whereas the bacteria-positive rate of blood smears, bacteria colony counts in bacteria plate cultures, lung injury score, ICAM-1 and NF-κB expression in the lungs were significantly reduced. In addition, rhGH treatment significantly suppressed the S. aureus sepsis-induced elevation of TNFα plasma levels.
Conclusions
These results indicate an ability of rhGH to prevent S. aureus sepsis-induced acute lung injury in mice, which may be attributed to attenuation of increased plasma TNFα levels, and elevated IL-10 plasma levels as well as reduced ICAM-1 expression and inhibited NF-κB activity in the lungs.