OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of enteral immunonutrition or enteral nutrition combined with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on inflammatory response in rats with severe scald.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty-eight SD rats were inflicted with 30% TBSA full-thickness scald, then they were divided into enteral nutrition (EN), enteral immunonutrition (EIN), EN combined with rhGH (EN + rhGH) and EIN combined with rhGH (EIN + rhGH) groups according to random number table. The serum levels of endotoxin, IL-6 and TNF-alpha as well as the expression of CD14 and TNF-alpha mRNA in liver were determined on the 1, 4, 7, 10 post scald day (PSD). Eight normal SD rats served as control, and above indices were also examined in this group (C group).

RESULTSThe levels of endotoxin, IL-6 and TNF-alpha as well as the expression of CD14mRNA, TNF-alphamRNA in EN, EIN, EN + rhGH, EIN + rhGH groups were remarkably higher than those of C group at each time point. The levels of endotoxin, IL-6 and TNF-alpha as well as the expression of CD14 mRNA, TNF-alpha mRNA in EIN and EN + rhGH groups were lowered significantly on 4, 7 and 10 PSD compared with those of EN group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The levels of endotoxin (0.37 +/- 0.07 EU/mL), IL-6 (289 +/- 49 ng/L) and TNF-alpha (1.87 +/- 0.32 microg/L) as well as the expression of CD14 mRNA (0.39 +/- 0.05), TNF-alpha mRNA (0.47 +/- 0.03) in EIN + rhGH group were also obviously lower than those [(0.48 +/- 0.08) EU/mL, (364 +/- 53) ng/L, (2.50 +/- 0.48) microg/L, 0.67 +/- 0.06, 0.66 +/- 0.05, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01, respectively] in EIN group on 10 PSD (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONEnteral immunonutrition combined with rhGH can ameliorate inflammatory response, in which rhGH has a collaborative effect.