[Ulinastatin combined with thymosin α1 for treatment of severe sepsis: a histopathological observation in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the therapeutic effect of ulinastatin combined with thymosin α1 in the treatment of severe sepsis in rats.


METHODS
Normal Wistar rats were subject to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to establish models of severe sepsis. The rats were then randomized into 4 groups for treatment with saline (control), ulinastatin, thymosin α1, or the combination of the latter two injected through the caudal vein or subcutaneously at 6, 24, 48 and 72 h after modeling. The mortality rate was recorded daily and the rats were executed at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after CLP to harvest the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and small intestines for pathological examination. The spleen of the rats were taken for detection of apoptosis of the spleen cells.


RESULTS
The mortality rate of the septic rats in the combined treatment group was decreased significantly (P=0.0325). The control group showed the most severe organ damage, which was moderate in single drug treatment group and the mildest in combined treatment group. Obvious spleen cell apoptosis was found in the control group, and was significantly ameliorated in the combined treatment group[(47.4∓10.9)% vs (39.3∓11.4)%, P=0.0000].


CONCLUSIONS
Combined treatment with ulinastatin and thymosin α1 can significantly improve the prognosis and ameliorate organ damage and spleen cell apoptosis in rats with sever sepsis.
First Affiliated Hospital of General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China. guojy2003@yahoo.com.cn
Jianying
J
Guo
Qun
Q
Deng
Xusheng
X
Guo
Shuangqing
S
Liu
Yuhong
Y
Zhang
Zhongjie
Z
He
Hongyuan
H
Lin
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D000077596:Thymalfasin; D013947:Thymosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D006023:Glycoproteins; D013947:Thymosin; C028665:urinastatin; D000077596:Thymalfasin