title: Effect of ketamine on NF-kappa B activity and TNF-alpha production in endotoxin-treated rats.
abstract: The effects of ketamine on endotoxin-induced NF-kappaB activation and TNF-alpha expression were studied in vivo. A sepsis model was created by bolus injection of endotoxin (5 mg/kg) into the tail vein of adult Wistar rats. The rats were immediately treated with various doses of ketamine (0.5, 5, or 50 mg/kg) or 0.9% NaCl (10 ml/kg) i.p. At 1, 4, or 6 hr post-treatment, NF-kappaB and TNF-alpha were assayed in the intestine, liver, and lung by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively. Serum TNF-alpha was analyzed by ELISA. Endotoxin enhanced NF-kappaB activity and TNF-alpha expression in the intestine, liver, and lung and it increased TNF-alpha concentration in serum. Ketamine dosages 0.5 mg/kg suppressed the endotoxin-induced NF-kappaB activation and TNF-alpha expression in the intestine. The lowest dose to inhibit NF-kappaB activity and TNF-alpha expression in the lung was 5 mg/kg. Ketamine did not inhibit endotoxin-induced NF-kappaB activity or TNF-alpha expression in the liver; ketamine itself at a dose of 50 mg/kg enhanced NF-kappaB activity and TNF-alpha expression in the liver. Ketamine dosage 0.5 mg/kg inhibited endotoxin-induced TNF-alpha elevation in the serum. In conclusion, ketamine can suppress the induction of NF-kappaB and TNF-alpha by endotoxin in vivo. Subanesthetic dosages of ketamine have an anti-inflammatory effect, but large dosages may be harmful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China. dgsunjie@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jianguo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000737:chemistry; D007649:Ketamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007649:Ketamine