Heat stress is associated with decreased lactic acidemia in rat sepsis.
BACKGROUND
Elevated plasma lactate has been shown to correlate with mortality in patients with septic shock. Heat stress prior to sepsis has resulted in reduction in acute lung injury and mortality. We investigated whether heat stress resulted in decreased plasma lactate concentration and protected the lung by decreasing the inflammatory response to sepsis.


RESULTS
Plasma lactate concentration was elevated in septic rats without prior heat stress. Lactic acid levels were significantly lower in heat-treated septic rats (P < 0.05) and were not significantly different when compared with control rats. Septic rats with or without heat pretreatment had significantly higher myeloperoxidase activity in the lung than did control groups. Heat pretreatment did not prevent neutrophil infiltration or inflammatory mediator production in the lung.


CONCLUSIONS
Prior heat stress ameliorates lactic acidemia in rat sepsis. Heat stress did not attenuate the pulmonary inflammatory process. The mechanism of heat-induced protection from lactic acidemia in sepsis needs to be further explored.
Deshpande
G G
GG
Wayne State University School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
Heidemann
S M
SM
Sarnaik
A P
AP
D000140:Acidosis, Lactic / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018882:Heat Stress Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis*; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012016:Reference Values; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D015996:Survival Rate; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007773:Lactates; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha