Shock : molecular, cellular, and systemic pathobiological aspects and therapeutic approaches : the official journal the Shock Society, the European Shock Society, the Brazilian Shock Society, the International Federation of Shock Societies
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Induction of the heat shock response may improve outcome from pathophysiological disturbances. This improvement is associated with and believed to result from expression of heat shock protein (HSP)-70. Therefore, we examined the temporal expression of HSP-70 in an animal model of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to fecal peritonitis. ⋯ Thus, the expression of HSP-70 does not change after 2CLP. Although lack of an increase in protein levels may be adaptive after sham operation, it is not appropriate after 2CLP. Therefore, failed HSP-70 expression represents a form of pulmonary epithelial dysfunction that may contribute to lung injury in sepsis.
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The effect of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibition on smoke inhalation injury in sheep.
Recent studies on smoke inhalation injury have been focused on nitric oxide (NO) as an essential factor of progressive lung injury. We studied the effects of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibition on inhalation injury in sheep. Sheep (n = 14) were prepared surgically for chronic study. ⋯ Lung wet/dry ratios, a marker of pulmonary edema, were significantly lower in the MEG group. At 48 h after injury, lung tissue-conjugated dienes, an index of lung oxidative tissue injury, were significantly lower in the MEG group than in the control group. Our data suggest that 1) iNOS-NO produced in the airway circulation plays a major role on the significant increase in airway blood flow, which may contribute to the spread of injury from injured airway to the lung parenchyma; 2) iNOS-NO induced in the pulmonary circulation contributes to the loss of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction; and 3) iNOS-NO plays an important role on the lung oxidative tissue injury.
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Polymicrobial sepsis is characterized by an early, hyperdynamic phase (i.e., 2-10 h after cecal ligation and puncture [CLP]) followed by a late, hypodynamic phase (16 h after CLP or later). Although nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the pathophysiologic response during sepsis, it remains unknown how early NO is upregulated after the onset of sepsis and which organs are responsible for producing the increased amount of NO. To study this, male rats were subjected to sepsis by CLP followed by fluid resuscitation. ⋯ Similarly, iNOS gene expression was upregulated in the kidneys, small intestines, and liver. Thus, the above organs appear to be important sites responsible for producing the increased NO during sepsis. Because we previously showed that the hyperdynamic response occurs as early as 2 h after CLP and because iNOS-derived NO production is not upregulated earlier than 10 h after the onset of Sepsis, it appears that factors other than NO are responsible for producing the hyperdynamic response during sepsis.
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Bacteria translocation from the bowel to systemic organs after burn injury may contribute to or be a cause of sepsis and multiple organ failure. The stress response confers protection under stressful conditions that would otherwise lead to cell damage or death. We investigated whether prior induction of the stress response by sodium arsenite could affect bacterial translocation after thermal injury. ⋯ Treated mice showed a significantly higher survival rate (93%) than controls (46%; P < 0.05), and detection of 111In-labeled E. coli was significantly less in the liver and spleen (P < 0.05). These data show that sodium arsenite induced HSP-70 expression in the small intestine. The stress response was associated with significantly increased survival and significant decrease in detection of 111In-labeled E. coil in the liver and spleen in a burned mouse model with gut-derived sepsis.
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Caspases -2, -3, -6, and -9, but not caspase-1, are activated in sepsis-induced thymocyte apoptosis.
Sepsis induces extensive lymphocyte cell death that may contribute to immune depression and morbidity/mortality in the disorder. bcl-2 is a member of a new class of oncogenes that prevents cell death from an array of noxious stimuli. Transgenic mice that overexpress BCL-2 in T lymphocytes are resistant to sepsis-induced T cell apoptosis, and mortality was decreased in sepsis. The purpose of this study was to identify key initiator and executioner "caspases" involved in sepsis-induced lymphocyte apoptosis and to determine if BCL-2 acts prior to caspase activation. ⋯ BCL-2 prevented sepsis-induced thymocyte apoptosis and inhibited activation of all caspases. We conclude that sepsis causes activation of multiple caspases and that BCL-2 acts upstream as an inhibitor of caspase activation. The pattern of caspase activation suggests a mitochondrial mediated pathway.