Catecholamines play a role in the production of interleukin-6 and interleukin-1alpha in unburned skin after burn injury in mice.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of catecholamines on the production of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1alpha in unburned skin after a burn injury.


METHODS
Randomized, controlled study.


METHODS
Animal laboratory.


METHODS
Anesthetized female C57BL/6 mice.


METHODS
A full-thickness burn injury on 20% of total body surface area was produced on the clipped dorsum, which was followed by resuscitation with lactated Ringer's solution (0.1 mL/g). Phentolamine mesylate (10 mg/kg) or propranolol hydrochloride (10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally before the burn injury.


RESULTS
Epinephrine and norepinephrine increased the production of IL-6 but not of IL-1alpha in normal abdominal skin, and these increases were reversed by a beta-blocker (propranolol hydrochloride) but not an alpha-blocker (phentolamine mesylate). A 20% full-thickness burn injury of the skin increased the plasma concentration of epinephrine 30 mins after the injury in female C57BL/6 mice, but not norepinephrine or dopamine. The burn also increased IL-6 production in unburned abdominal skin. The administration of a beta-blocker before a 20% burn injury suppressed the increased IL-6 production in unburned abdominal skin as determined by both protein level and mRNA expression. Pretreatment with the alpha-blocker was less effective.


CONCLUSIONS
We propose that the neuroendocrine system activated by a 20% burn injury participates in the increased IL-6 production in the unburned skin.
Kawakami
M
M
Department of Traumatology and Critical Care Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan. masato-kawakami@fc.kuh.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
He
J
J
Sakamoto
T
T
Okada
Y
Y
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D010646:Phentolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects*
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011433:Propranolol; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine; D010646:Phentolamine