title: Beneficial effects of antibacterial peptide PR-39 in a neonatal murine model of endotoxic shock.
abstract: The lethal effects occurring in neonatal (< 24-h old) BALB/c mice after challenge with E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were significantly counteracted by pretreatment with antibacterial peptide PR-39. Neonatal mice protection was probably related to the depressive effect of PR-39 on production of TNF-alpha known to be the major mediator of the lethal effects of neonatal endotoxic shock. Indeed, TNF-alpha plasmatic levels were consistently lower in pups pretreated with PR-39 compared with controls. Administration 24 h after challenge was no longer effective. Although PR-39 and anti-TNF-alpha doses were ineffective alone, when combined at different ratios protected neonatal mice. The present experiments show the potential use of peptide PR-39 in preventing neonatal endotoxic shock.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Pathology and Microbiology, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Delfino
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Cusumano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tomasello
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cusumano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C072212:PR 39