Infection-induced Sepsis Research Articles

Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory activities and toxicology of phenylethanoid glycosides from Monochasma savatieri Franch. ex Maxim

Ethnopharmacological relevanceMonochasma savatieri Franch. ex Maxim is used for treating many diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Aim of the studyThe present study was designed to evaluate antibacterial, anti-inflammatory activities and toxicity of the total phenylethanoid glycosides from Monochasma savatieri Franch. ex Maxim (TPG). Materials and methodsThe antibacterial activity of TPG was checked by MIC and MBC in vitro; survival of mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus infection-induced sepsis was investigated to evaluate antibacterial activity of TPG in vivo. Additionally, antibacterial activities of TPG were also investigated in a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection-induced pneumonia in the mice model. Cotton pellet induced granuloma and xylene induced ear swelling in mice models were used to quantify the anti-inflammatory activity. ResultsTPG showed a significant possess bacteriostatic properties against five bacteria strains at a concentration between 0.0625 and 16mg/ml. Moreover, TPG has bactericidal activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae or Escherichia coli. TPG (60, 120, and 180mg/kg) prolonged survival rate of mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus infection-induced sepsis. In addition, TPG (180mg/kg) could reduce the bacterial colony-forming units in lung tissue. Furthermore, TPG (60–180mg/kg) had significantly reduced xylene-induced ear edema and granulomat formation induced by cotton pellet at a dose-dependent manner. In addition, administration of TPG (1.5g/kg) for 15 days did not result in toxicities in liver, kidney, spleen and thymus tissue in rats. ConclusionThese results indicated that TPG might be useful for the development of a novel treatment for respiratory infections or pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus.

The relationship of the expression of principal pattern recognition receptor with the pulmonary injury in abdominal infection-induced sepsis

In order to investigate the evidence of the synergistic effects of bacterial components, to observe the relationship of the expression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptors [CD14, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), scavenger receptor (SR)], lipoprotein receptor (TLR2) and bacterial DNA receptor (TLR9) with pulmonary injury in abdominal infection-induced sepsis. 30 mice were used and randomly divided into cecal ligation puncture (CLP) (n = 15) and sham (n = 15) groups. The animals were respectively sacrificed 8, 12 and 24 (each point n = 5) hours following CLP and sham CLP. The lungs were removed and immediately stored in liquid nitrogen for TLRs mRNA, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha and myeloperoxidase (MPO) assay. To detect the expression of CD14, TLR4, SR, TLR2 and TLR9 mRNA by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, to detect the TNF-alpha content of the lung tissue by enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay, and to assay the MPO activity of the lung tissue spectrophotometer. It was found that the expression of receptors for LPS, BLP and bacterial DNA in pulmonary tissues was markedly changed in CLP-induced sepsis, showing upregulation of CD14 mRNA (1.143 +/- 0.139, t = 0.022, P < 0.05), TLR2 mRNA (0.418 +/- 0.102, t = 0.021, P < 0.05), TLR4 mRNA (0.595 +/- 0.052, t = 0.0001, P < 0.01) and TLR9 mRNA (0.743 +/- 0.178, t = 0.0023, P < 0.01) at different degrees (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) after postinjury 8 h, among which the expression of TLR9 mRNA kept increasing. The expression of SR mRNA (8 h: 0.659 +/- 0.159; 12 h: 0.429 +/- 0.061; 24 h: 0.300 +/- 0.045; t = 0.029, P < 0.05; t = 0.001, P < 0.01; t = 0.003, P < 0.01) showed continuous down-regulation. There was a marked correlation between the changes of pattern-recognition receptor expression and the increases of MPO and TNF-alpha levels in pulmonary tissues.