title: Exogenous rh-urokinase modifies inflammation and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in a rat chronic pulmonary infection model.
abstract: The effect of recombinant human urokinase (rh-UK) in a rat model of chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa pulmonary infection was studied. Efficacy was assessed by lung histology and quantitative bacteriology. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received 1 x 10(4) or 1 x 10(5) P. aeruginosa encapsulated in agar beads via the intratracheal route on day 1. Intratracheal administration of up to 12,500 units of rh-UK on day 21 led to a dose-dependent disappearance of viable organisms from the lungs by day 24 in rats receiving 10(4) organisms. In slightly longer term infections (30 days), rh-UK was still effective in facilitating the disappearance of the organisms from the lungs of most of the treated animals. rh-UK was effective in eliminating organisms when animals were infected with 10(4), but not 10(5) bacteria. In vitro analysis revealed that rh-UK was not directly toxic for the organisms. Histologically, lungs from short-term infected control animals exhibited acute inflammation, inflammatory cell infiltrates, and fibrin deposition. Histology of lungs from UK-treated, short-term infected rats revealed decreased airway inflammation and cellular infiltration compared with infected controls. Lungs from infected animals treated with 12,500 units of rh-UK were histologically indistinguishable from the lungs of uninfected control animals, except for the foreign body reaction. These results indicate that exogenous rh-UK may be efficacious in the treatment of pulmonary inflammation accompanying exposure to Gram-negative bacteria such as P. aeruginosa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary Health Sciences Centre, Canada.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Whidden
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henkin
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Woods
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator