HEPARAN-SULFATE INCREASES SURVIVAL DURING GUT-DERIVED SEPSIS BY DECREASING BACTERIAL TRANSLOCATION AND ENHANCING HOST-DEFENSE

The effect of heparan sulfate (HS) on survival rate, bacterial translo cation, and host defense was studied in a model of gut-derived sepsis that included transfusion-induced immunosuppression. Balb/c mice were treated pre- and postburn injury and bacterial challenge with HS, 5 mg /kg/day, or sterile phosphate-buffered saline. The HS pre- and postbur n treated animals showed a significant improvement in survival compare d to control animals (80 vs. 30%, p = .004, and 60 vs. 20%, p = .02, r espectively). A lower amount of translocation was observed in the sple en (p less than or equal to .001) of the HS group compared to control group. Quantitative colony counts and the calculated percentage of via ble bacteria showed that the ability to kill translocated organisms wa s enhanced in all tissues of the animals receiving HS. These data sugg est that treatment with HS positively affects the outcome in gut-deriv ed sepsis. The beneficial effect was related both to an improved gut b arrier function and to an enhanced host defense.