The role of toxic oxygen metabolites in a young model of thermal injury.

Abstract

Production of oxygen-free radicals has been proposed as one pathophysiologic mechanism for postburn cardiac contractile dysfunction in adults. To examine this hypothesis in young subjects, we studied the cardiac effects of polyethylene glycol-superoxide dismutase (PEG-SOD) and PEG-catalase (PEG-CAT), each given as 20 U/g of body weight with fluid resuscitation (Parkland formula), after a third-degree burn constituting 33% of the total body surface area in young (6- to 7-day old) guinea pigs (group 3, n = 12). Fluid-treated burns without scavenger therapy (group 2, n = 15) and sham burn controls (group 1, n = 15) were included. Animals were killed 24 hours postburn, and hearts were studied in vitro (Langendorff). Compared with sham burn controls, fluid-treated burns (group 2) had significant cardiac dysfunction as indicated by a lower peak systolic left ventricular (LV) pressure (LVP: 67 +/- 2 vs. 57 +/- 4 mm Hg, p = 0.01, mean +/- SEM), maximal rate of LV pressure development (+dP/dt max: 1169 +/- 45 vs. 988 +/- 45 mm Hg/second, p = 0.01), and fall (-dP/dt max: 1109 +/- 45 vs. 919 +/- 49 mm Hg/second, p = 0.01). In addition, LV function curves calculated for group 2 were shifted downward and to the right of those calculated for sham burn controls in the direction of contractile depression, p = 0.01. PEG-SOD/PEG-CAT treatment in burns did not significantly improve LVP (60 +/- 5 mm Hg), but scavenger therapy improved +/-dP/dt max values (1112 +/- 74 and 988 +/- 98 mm Hg/second, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)