EFFECT OF CORTICOTROPIN-RELEASING FACTOR ON ACID-BASE ALTERATIONS ANDBACTERIAL TRANSLOCATION IN A MURINE MODEL OF THERMAL-INJURY

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a 41 amino acid polypeptide pr oduced by the hypothalamus which has been shown to decrease inflammati on and tissue oedema when administered following burns, cold and acid injuries in some animal models, and to increase mesenteric blood flow. We determined whether systemic administration of CRF to burned mice w ould decrease metabolic acidosis and protect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract from ischaemic injury leading to bacterial translocation (BT). Synthetic CRF was administered by intraperitoneal injection in doses o f 20 and 200 mug/kg to mice immediately following 25 and 32 per cent T BSA burn injuries, the doses were repeated at 8 and 16 h postburn. Sev ere metabolic acidosis, measured 12 h after bum injury, was not improv ed in mice which received CRF treatment. Bacterial translocation, meas ured by quantifying bacteria in mesenteric lymph nodes harvested from animals 48 h postburn, was also not decreased with CRF treatment. CRF does not improve general tissue perfusion nor decrease GI derangements leading to bacterial translocation in this animal model of burn injur y.