OBJECTIVETo evaluate the influence of glucose-insulin-potassium treatment (GIK) on the levels of inflammatory cytokines in the scalded rats with MODS.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty Sprague Dawley rats were inflicted with 30% TBSA full-thickness scalding, and MODS model was reproduced with intraperitoneal injection of endotoxin following burn injury. Then the rats were randomly divided into GIK, glucose (G) and control (C) groups, with 40 rats in each group. The serum contents of glucose, lactate acid, TNF-alpha, NO and IL-6 of the rats in the three groups were determined during 1 to 7 PSD, and the mortality rate within 7 PSD was observed.

RESULTSThe serum contents of glucose, lactate acid, TNF-alpha, NO and IL-6 of the rats in the GIK group were obviously lower than those in the other two groups during 1 to 7 PSD (P < 0.01), and reached the lowest level at 6 to 7 PSD (TNF-alpha: 2.37 +/- 0.54 microg/L; IL-6: 0.28 +/- 0.17 microg/L; NO: 29 +/- 9 micromol/L). The content of glucose and lactate acid in G group were obviously higher than those in control group (P < 0.01), but the contents of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and NO content were similar between these two groups (P > 0.05). The mortality in GIK group within 7 PSD was 20.0%, which was evidently lower than that in G (37.5%) and C (47.5%) groups (P < 0.05), while that between G and C groups was similar (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe administration of GIK might ameliorate sepsis by reducing the levels of inflammatory cytokine after burns and endotoxin challenge.