Liver injury and abscess formation in secondary murine peritonitis

Abstract

To investigate liver damage and abscess formation in murine, secondary peritonitis. Male C57BL/6 mice. Intraperitoneal injection with 10(3) CFU Klebsiella pneumoniae and treatment with gentamicin 5 mg/kg/day (BID), subcutaneously. Animals were killed at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after infection. Bacterial burden was determined in the blood and the liver. Liver abscess formation was assessed macroscopically and microscopically. Plasma levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were measured. Polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) accumulation was assessed via tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentrations. Liver interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels were determined by ELISA. K. pneumoniae was detectable in the blood and the liver at 12 h after infection. Liver abscess formation was visible earliest at 24 h after infection and most pronounced within the right liver lobes. ALP and ALT levels peaked at 12 and 24 h after infection, respectively. MPO was elevated in the right and left liver lobes at 12 h but only in the right lobes at 48 h after infection, compared to tissue levels in naïve mice. Liver IL-10 concentrations were not significantly increased. Peritonitis led to liver injury and abscess formation but did not significantly affect tissue concentrations of anti-inflammatory IL-10.