REDUCTION OF BACTERIAL TRANSLOCATION AND INTESTINAL STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS BY HEPARIN IN A MURINE BURN INJURY MODEL

Burn injury produces acute gastrointestinal (GI) derangements that may predispose the burn victim to bacterial translocation (BT). We studie d the effects of heparin on gastrointestinal (GI) anatomic alterations and BT after 25% and 32% total body surface area (TBSA), full-thickne ss murine burn injuries. Heparin (100 U/kg) was administered with 1 mL of normal saline (NS) resuscitation solution immediately postburn and 4 hours and 18 hours postburn in volumes of 0.5 mL NS. Mice with 25% TBSA bums treated with heparin maintained small intestine weight, meas ured 24 hours postburn, and ileal mucosal height was preserved, wherea s burned, untreated mice lost organ weight and mucosal height. Bacteri al translocation was decreased in mice with 25% TBSA burn injuries tre ated with heparin (35.0% vs. 10.7%, p < 0.025). After 32% TBSA burn in juries, BT was also decreased in heparin-treated animals (64.3% vs. 31 .6%; p < 0.025). Analysis of mixed venous blood gases showed that hepa rin did not affect the severe metabolic acidosis that follows burn inj ury in this animal model, indicating that general tissue perfusion was not improved. Heparin administered in the acute postburn period ameli orates GI structural and functional damage in this murine burn model a nd decreases BT.