Erythropoietin protects severe haemorrhagic shock-induced organ damage in conscious rats.
OBJECTIVE
Erythropoietin (EPO) has pleiotropic cytoprotective actions. We investigated the effects of EPO on the physiopathology and cytokine levels after haemorrhagic shock (HS) in conscious rats.


METHODS
Rats received an intravenous injection of 300 U/kg EPO over 10 min followed by HS via withdrawal of 60% of total blood volume from a femoral arterial catheter (6 ml/100 g body weight) over 30 min. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were monitored continuously for 18 h after the start of blood withdrawal. Levels of biochemical parameters, including haemoglobin, GOT, GPT, BUN, creatinine (Cr), LDH, CPK, and lactate were measured at 30 min before the induction of HS and 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 h after HS. Cytokine levels, including TNF-alpha and IL-6, in serum were measured at 1, 9, and 18 h after HS. The kidneys, liver, lungs, and small intestine were removed for pathology assessment at 48 h after HS.


RESULTS
HS significantly increased HR, blood GOT, GPT, BUN, Cr, LDH, CPK, lactate, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 levels and decreased haemoglobin and MAP in rats. Pre-treatment with EPO improved survival rate, preserved the MAP, decreased the tachycardia and markers of organ injury, suppressed the release of TNF-alpha and IL-6 after HS in rats.


CONCLUSIONS
Pre-treatment with EPO suppresses the release of serum TNF-alpha and IL-6, along with decreasing the levels of markers of organ injury associated with HS, with such actions ameliorating HS-induced organ damage in rats.
Wu
Wen-Tien
WT
Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
Lin
Nien-Tsung
NT
Subeq
Yi-Maun
YM
Lee
Ru-Ping
RP
Chen
Ing-Ho
IH
Hsu
Bang-Gee
BG
D000818:Animals; D003243:Consciousness / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D012771:Shock, Hemorrhagic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004921:Erythropoietin