Treatment with cerium nitrate bathing modulate systemic leukocyte activation following burn injury: an experimental study in rat cremaster muscle flap

It is suggested that burn toxin known as lipid protein complex (LPC) stimul ates phagocytic cells that cause the release of a variety of inflammatory m ediators which induce the activation of leukocytes. It is reported that cer ium nitrate (CN) might fix LPC in eschar tissue and prevent LPC from enteri ng the circulation. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that prevention or modulation of LPC initiated cell activation by fixing LPC in eschar tis sue with CN treatment, would reduce the number of activated leukocytes, whi ch is an important indicator of inflammation, in rat cremaster muscle flap model. Twenty-eight animals were studied in four groups - group I (control) , only cremaster muscle flap was dissected; group II (burn injury), burn in jury was performed and flap was dissected; group III (saline); and group IV (CN), following burn injury rats treated with saline and CN, respectively, and than flaps were dissected. Blood vessels were observed in vivo under a n intravital microscopy system and the number of rolling, sticking, and tra nsmigrating leukocytes were measured in each group. Burn injury significant ly increased the number of activated leukocytes (P < 0.001). We observed th at CN treatment significantly reduced the number of activated leukocytes fo llowing burn injury (P < 0.001). In conclusion, we demonstrated that CN tre atment significantly decreased the activation of leukocytes, which plays an important role in systemic inflammation. Decreased leukocyte activation is interpreted as prevention or modulation of systemic inflammatory response following burn injury. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd and ISBI. All rights r eserved.