title: Prevention of experimental endotoxin shock by a monocyte activator.
abstract: In patients with polytrauma or major surgery, severe bacterial infections leading to septic shock and multiorgan failure are still a major cause of death. Prevention of septic shock in patients at risk would be an alternative to treatment of patients with overt septic shock. We therefore conducted a trial with the monocyte activator muramyl tripeptide phosphatidylethanolamine (MTP-PE) in an experimental pig model. Liposome encapsulated MTP-PE (50 micrograms/kg of body weight) or liposomes alone were given intravenously at 72 or 24 h before endotoxemia was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), simultaneously with the induction of endotoxin shock, or 1 h thereafter. Pretreatment with MTP-PE at 72 and 24 h before endotoxemia was induced resulted in a reduction of endotoxin shock-induced mortality from 81.8% (9 of 11 animals) in the control group to 8.3% (1 of 12 animals) of the MTP-PE-pretreated animals (P < 0.001). The administration of MTP-PE 24 h before the induction of endotoxin shock was more effective (P < 0.01) than administration of MTP-PE 72 h before endotoxemia was induced (P = 0.05). The pretreated animals did not develop fever or cardiovascular complications, and pulmonary function was significantly improved. Furthermore, the alpha-form of the soluble CD14 LPS receptor in pig serum showed a marked decrease in LPS-treated animals, and this decrease was reduced by MTP-PE pretreatment at 24 h before endotoxemia was induced. When MTP-PE was given simultaneously with the induction of septic shock or 1 h thereafter, it did not influence either mortality or morbidity. In conclusion, pretreatment of pigs with MTP-PE improves several parameters of endotoxin shock and it reduces mortality. Patients with high risk of developing septic complications might benefit from a pretreatment with this monocyte-activating substance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Passlick
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Labeta
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Izbicki
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ostertag
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Löffler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siebeck
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pichlmeier
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schweiberer
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Ziegler-Heitbrock
mesh_terms: D000119:Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002003:Brucella abortus; D005334:Fever / Q000517:prevention & control; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000276:immunology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D008081:Liposomes; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012475:Salmonella; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008081:Liposomes; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; C037144:mifamurtide; D000119:Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine