title: Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor protects control rats but not ethanol-fed rats from fatal pneumococcal pneumonia.
abstract: A model of chronic ethanol ingestion was used to study the effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the pathogenesis of pneumococcal pneumonia in intoxicated rats. G-CSF or 5% dextrose in water (D5W) was administered subcutaneously to ethanol-fed and pair-fed control rats on days 6 and 7 of pair feeding. Rats were infected transtracheally with type 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae on day 8. In pair-fed control rats, G-CSF significantly increased the total number and percentage of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) in the peripheral blood (P < .001), augmented PMNL recruitment to infected lungs (P < .01), and significantly increased survival from pneumococcal pneumonia (P = .01). In contrast, treatment of ethanol-fed rats with G-CSF did not enhance pulmonary PMNL delivery and did not increase survival following experimental pneumococcal pneumonia, despite a significant increase in the total number and percentage of circulating PMNL (P < .001). These data suggest that despite increasing the numbers of circulating PMNL, G-CSF is unable to provide protection against fatal pneumococcal pneumonia in ethanol-fed rats.
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases, VA Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68105.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Lister
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gentry
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Preheim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D000431:Ethanol