RESTORATION OF BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY OF PERITONEAL-FLUID BY CIMETIDINE BUT NOT RANITIDINE OR FAMOTIDINE IN BURNED MICE

Objective: To find out the effect of 20%, third degree bums and H-2 re ceptor antagonists on peritoneal bactericidal activity. Design: Animal experiment. Setting: Research laboratory of university school of medi cine. Subjects: 52 mice in five groups. Interventions: Sham burn (n = 5, group I), burned, and received subcutaneous injections of saline (0 .3 ml/kg day, n = 14, group II); ranitidine (10 ml/kg/day, n = 15, gro up III); cimetidine (10 mg/kg/day, n = 8, group IV); or famotidine (0. 7 mg/kg/day, n = 10, group V); for 14 days. Main outcome measure: Peri toneal bactericidal activity in all groups measured 15 days after the burn. Results: There was a significant difference in peritoneal bacter icidal activity between the control and burned mice, but no significan t difference between the control group and the burned mice that were g iven cimetidine and famotidine. Conclusion: Peritoneal bactericidal ac tivity is suppressed in mice after 20% third degree burns and this eff ect may be partly reversed by cimetidine and famotidine.