Comparison of the effects of hyperbaric oxygen and normobaric oxygen on sepsis in rats

Abstract

Introduction: Several studies have been done on sepsis and many therapeutic agents have been developed. All agents were tested on animals prior to trials in humans. In this study, our aim was to investigate the healing effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and normobaric oxygen (NBO) due to pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress parameters, and the advantages of each other in an experimental model of sepsis. Material and methods: The rats were randomized into four groups: (1) Sham group (n = 10), intraperitoneal salineinjected group; (2) Control group (n = 10), which were only treated with CEF after induction of sepsis; (3) HBO group (n = 10), treated with HBO after sepsis induction; (4) NBO group (n= 10), treated with NBO after sepsis induction. In all groups, serum TNF-α, as well as parameters of oxidative stress such as glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde levels in the lung tissue, were measured. Results: Our study revealed that treatment with HBO and NBO significantly cured the increased oxidative stress and tissue membrane injury following E.coli induced experimental sepsis (p=0,001). Overall, the NBO and HBO treatments were similar. However, the HBO treatment was more efficient than the NBO treatment with respect to the TNF-α levels (p=0,001). Conclusion: HBO or NBO should be used as an agent for the adjuvant treatment of sepsis. It can be concluded that applying HBO therapy as an adjuvant will be more useful for the patients meeting the criteria of sepsis. Advanced studies are required to understand the mechanism of treatment and to investigate the usability and efficiency.