R. Gennari et al., EFFECTS OF THE ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME-INHIBITOR ENALAPRIL ON BACTERIAL TRANSLOCATION AFTER THERMAL-INJURY AND BACTERIAL CHALLENGE, Shock, 6(2), 1996, pp. 95-100
Burn injury and sepsis produce acute gastrointestinal derangements tha
t may predispose patients to bacterial translocation. We studied the e
ffects of enalapril, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi)
, on gastrointestinal anatomic alterations, bacterial translocation, a
nd related mortality during gut-derived sepsis in burned mice that had
received a prior bacterial challenge. BALB/c mice (n = 111) were trea
ted with enalapril 10 or 1 mg/Kg body weight or sterile saline as cont
rol twice daily for 3 days. They were then gavaged with 10(9) In-111 r
adiolabeled or unlabeled Escherichia coil and given a 20% total body s
urface area (TBSA) burn injury. Animals gavaged with unlabeled bacteri
a were observed for survival (n = 60). Survival was significantly high
er in the group receiving enalapril 10 mg/Kg compared with control (75
% vs. 10%). Mice treated with enalapril maintained small intestine wei
ght, measured 4 h postburn, and ileal mucosal height was preserved, wh
ereas burned untreated animals lost intestinal weight and mucosal heig
ht. Bacterial translocation was decreased in mice treated with enalapr
il, but killing was unaffected. This study suggests that treatment wit
h enalapril positively affects the outcome in gut-derived sepsis by am
eliorating gastrointestinal structural and functional damage and decre
asing bacterial translocation.