Item type:Article, Open Access

Pulmonary inflammatory response and immunomodulation to multiple trauma and hemorrhagic shock in pigs

Abstract

Background: Patients suffering from severe trauma experience substantial immunological stress. Lung injury is a known risk factor for the development of posttraumatic complications, but information on the long-term course of the pulmonary inflammatory response and treatment with mild hypothermia are scarce. Aim: To investigate the pulmonary inflammatory response to multiple trauma and hemorrhagic shock in a porcine model of combined trauma and to assess the immunomodulatory properties of mild hypothermia. Methods: Following induction of trauma (blunt chest trauma, liver laceration, tibia fracture), two degrees of hemorrhagic shock (45 and 50%) over 90 (n = 30) and 120 min. (n = 20) were induced. Animals were randomized to hypothermia (33°C) or normothermia (38°C). We evaluated bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and tissue levels of cytokines and investigated changes in microRNA- and gene-expression as well as tissue apoptosis. Results: We observed a significant induction of Interleukin (IL) 1β, IL-6, IL-8, and Cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA in lung tissue. Likewise, an increased IL-6 protein concentration could be detected in BAL-fluid, with a slight decrease of IL-6 protein in animals treated with hypothermia. Lower IL-10 protein levels in normothermia and higher IL-10 protein concentrations in hypothermia accompanied this trend. Tissue apoptosis increased after trauma. However, intervention with hypothermia did not result in a meaningful reduction of pro-inflammatory biomarkers or tissue apoptosis. Conclusion: We observed signs of a time-dependent pulmonary inflammation and apoptosis at the site of severe trauma, and to a lower extent in the trauma-distant lung. Intervention with mild hypothermia had no considerable effect during 48 hours following trauma.

Metadata

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Oestreich, Marc-Alexander (0000-0001-9641-3691); Seidel, Kerstin; Bertrams, Wilhelm; Müller, Hans-Helge; Sassen, Martin (0000-0003-0607-4644); Steinfeld, Thorsten; Wulf, Hinnerk; Schmeck, Bernd (0000-0002-2767-3606): Pulmonary inflammatory response and immunomodulation to multiple trauma and hemorrhagic shock in pigs. In: , Jg. (2023-10-04), . DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278766.