R. Gennari et al., HEPARAN-SULFATE INCREASES SURVIVAL DURING GUT-DERIVED SEPSIS BY DECREASING BACTERIAL TRANSLOCATION AND ENHANCING HOST-DEFENSE, Shock, 2(4), 1994, pp. 246-250
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.