Alteration in kupffer cell function after mild hemorrhagic shock

Functional changes in Kupffer cells occur after profound hemorrhagic shock. This study was performed to demonstrate if Kupffer cell changes also occur after mild hemorrhagic shock. Sprague-Dawley rats were bled to a systolic blood pressure of 60 to 70 mmHg and resuscitated with Lactated Ringers solu tion (twice the shed blood volume) after 30 min. Resuscitation produced imm ediate recovery of blood pressure and allowed long-term recovery of the ani mals. Sham animals received anesthesia and monitoring only. Thirty minutes after resuscitation, Kupffer cells were isolated by centrifugal elutriation and cultured for 48 h. In Kupffer cells isolated from shocked animals, pho rbol ester-stimulated superoxide production increased 7-fold and lipopolysa ccharide- (LPS) stimulated prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2)) production increased 4-fold. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) production, on the other ha nd, was decreased by 50%. A non-significant trend toward increased phagocyt osis was also observed, whereas LPS-stimulated nitric oxide production was unchanged. In conclusion, mild hemorrhagic shock produced increases in supe roxide and PGE(2) production, and decreases in TNF alpha production by Kupf fer cells, changes that may be appropriate to defend against the infectious challenges that often follows trauma and hemorrhage.