title: Flutamide: a novel agent for restoring the depressed cell-mediated immunity following soft-tissue trauma and hemorrhagic shock.
abstract: Recent studies indicate beneficial effects of androgen depletion in male mice, before trauma-hemorrhage on cell-mediated immunity following soft-tissue trauma and hemorrhagic shock. Nonetheless, it remains unknown whether androgen receptor blockade following the insult has any salutary effects. To study this, male C3H/HeN mice were either sham-operated or subjected to soft-tissue trauma (i.e., 2.5 cm midline laparotomy) followed by hemorrhagic shock (blood pressure 35 +/- 5 mmHg for 90 min) and then adequately resuscitated (shed blood and lactated Ringer's). Immediately after the completion of resuscitation, as well as 24 and 48 h thereafter, the animals received either vehicle, 10 mg/kg body weight (BW) flutamide or 25 mg/kg BW flutamide subcutaneously. At 72 h after resuscitation, all animals were killed. The spleens and peritoneal macrophages (M phi) were then harvested and cultures established to determine IL-2 and IL-3 release, splenocyte proliferative capacity, as well as splenic and peritoneal M phi IL-1 release. Moreover, plasma testosterone and corticosterone levels were measured. Our results indicate that trauma-hemorrhage resulted in significant depression of splenocyte and M phi functions in vehicle-treated and animals receiving 10 mg/kg BW flutamide. Treatment with 25 mg/kg BW flutamide following trauma-hemorrhage, however, resulted in levels of cytokine release which were comparable with those found in sham-operated animals. No significant alterations in plasma corticosterone and testosterone levels were observed in any of the experimental groups. These findings indicate that short-term therapy of males with the androgen receptor blocker, flutamide at 25 mg/kg BW, following trauma-hemorrhage has protective effects on immune functions. This protective effect is dose dependent, since 10 mg/kg BW flutamide did not produce significant salutary effects. Thus, flutamide represents a novel and safe agent for improving the depressed functions in male trauma patients suffering severe blood loss.
authors.affiliation: Center for Surgical Research, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Wichmann
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Angele
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Cioffi
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Chaudry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D005485:Flutamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D012771:Shock, Hemorrhagic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007377:Interleukin-3; D013739:Testosterone; D005485:Flutamide; D003345:Corticosterone