OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of escharectomy during shock stage on plasma lipid and free fatty acid levels in scalded rats.

METHODSThirty-two adult Wistar rats inflicted with 30% TBSA III degree scalding were employed as the model and were divided into normal control (NC), scalding control (SC) and treatment groups (T), and the latter was further divided into three sub groups according to the time of escharectomy, i.e. 8 postburn hour (PBHs) (T8), 24 PBHs (T24) and 96 PBHs (T96) groups. The rats were sacrificed at 168 PBHs. The postburn changes in the rat plasma lipid and free fatty acid levels were determined.

RESULTS1) There was significant increase in serum triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (CHO), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), apolipoprotein A (ApoA), apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and all the free fatty acids (FFAs) in the total serum FFAs excluding myristic acid (P < 0.05) at 168 PBHs in rats of all the T groups. 2) The serum levels of TG, CHO, ApoB, total FFA, lauric acid, palmitic acid, zoomaric acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid in T8 and T24 groups were evidently lower than those in SC group (P < 0.05). The plasma levels of VLDL, stearic acid and arachidonic acid in T8 were obviously lower than those in SC group (P < 0.05); 3) In T96 group, the serum levels of ApoB and lauric acid were significantly lower than those in SC group (P < 0.05), but all the other indices remained higher than those before injury.

CONCLUSIONThere was enhanced fat mobilization after severe burn injury. Escharectomy during shock stage might decrease fat mobilization, which was beneficial to the restoration of normal lipid metabolism.