EFFECT OF IBUPROFEN ON THE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE TO SURGICAL WOUNDS

Patients suffering severe trauma frequently become immunosuppressed fo llowing injury. This can predispose patients to infectious sequelae. B iochemically, these patients synthesize excessive quantities of cycloo xygenase products (prostaglandins). It has been hypothesized that the prostaglandins cause the immunosuppression and that inhibition of the cyclooxygenase enzyme could thus prevent the immunosuppression. We inv estigated the effect of the cyclooxygenase inhibitor ibuprofen on the inflammatory response. Rats were subjected to a 30% total body surface area burn and were administered either ibuprofen for a period of 7 da ys or 14 days, or were administered the carrier for 14 days. The rats were then killed and multiple immunologic variables were measured. Ibu profen was found to decrease neutrophil chemiluminescence, lymphocyte blastogenesis, and helper/inducer T-lymphocyte infiltration of a spong e matrix model. The same ibuprofen protocol decreased survival in a ce cal ligation and puncture model. In conclusion, the cyclooxygenase enz yme system appears to produce metabolites essential for optimal surviv al following traumatic injury.