THE PLATELET-ACTIVATING-FACTOR RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST WEB-2170 PREVENTS NEONATAL NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS IN RATS

Background: To evaluate the role of platelet-activating factor (PAF) i n a neonatal rat model of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Methods: NE C was reproduced in newborn rats following exposure to formula feeding , asphyxia, and bacterial colonization. The role of endogenous PAF in neonatal NEC was studied by preheating animals with PAF receptor antag onists (WEB 2170 and WEB 2086) and by measuring intestinal PAF content in animals with NEC, WEB-treated animals, and controls. Results: We f ound that WEB 2170 (dosed using 10 mg/kg in a.m. and 30 mg/kg in p.m.) markedly reduced the incidence of NEC (3/17 vs. 14/18 control; p < 0. 001) and death (6/17 vs. 17/18 control; p < 0.001) compared with salin e-treated animals. Although lower WEB 2170 doses prevented NEC, neithe r fourfold higher dosing with WEB 2170 nor similar dosing with WEB 208 6 affected the incidence of disease in this study. PAF content in inte stine was elevated in NEC animals (270 +/- 80 pg/g) compared with WEB 2170-treated animals (0 pg/g) and maternally fed controls (70 +/- 50 p g/g). Conclusions: The data support the role of PAF in the final commo n pathway of neonatal NEC. (C) 1997 Lippincott-Raven Publishers.