OBJECTIVETo review the current status of the determination of the bacterial endotoxin in traditional chinese medicine injections with the limulus lysate test, and to evaluate the feasibility of this test for the determination of the bacterial endotoxin in these injections.

METHODThe data related to the topic was collected, analyzed and summarized.

RESULTThe limulus lysate test was not available for most of traditional chinese medicine injections due to the interference. And the same injection may uield different test results because of different factories, batch numbers, different techniques and preparational conditions.

CONCLUSIONThere is still a long way to go to apply the limulus lysate test to the determination of the bacterial endotoxin in traditional chinese medicine injections.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Endotoxins ; analysis ; Limulus Test ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Suprofen eye drop was instilled into one eye of 10 pigmented rabbits and then anterior uveitis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of endotoxin of Shigella flexneri serotype 1A to evaluate the effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug on endotoxin induced uveitis. The pupillary diameters were measured, and aqueous cell and flare gradings were recorded in 20 eyes of 10 rabbits for one week at an interval of 12 hours for the first 24 hours and then every 24 hours for a week. A difference between the treated and control groups were investigated. All the above parameters showed greatest changes at 12 or 24 hours after injection and became normal by one week. The two groups demonstrated statistically significant difference at 12 hours, day 1 and day 2 as for pupillary diameter, at day 1 and day 2 as for cell and at 12 hours and day 1 as for flare. Thus, it can be concluded that prostaglandins play a role in miosis, in the appearance of inflammatory cells and flare in endotoxin induced uveitis and the topical administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug can alleviate signs of anterior uveitis. Specific relationship between leukotriene B4 and aqueous cell was not demonstrated.
Administration, Topical ; Animals ; Cell Count ; Endotoxins ; Rabbits ; Shigella flexneri ; Suprofen/*therapeutic use ; Uveitis, Anterior/*drug therapy/pathology

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to determine the effects of intratracheal administration of endotoxin on hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonatal rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Newborn Sprague Dawley rat pups were divided into four experimental groups: normoxia control (NC), normoxia with endotoxin treatment (NE), hyperoxia control (HC), and hyperoxia with endotoxin treatment (HE) groups. In HC and HE, rat pups were subjected to 14 days of hyperoxia (> 95% oxygen) within 12 hours after birth. In endotoxin treated group (NE and HE), Escherichia coli endotoxin (0.5microgram in 0.03mL of saline) was given intratracheally at the 1st, 3rd and 5th postnatal day. Radial alveolar count (RAC), mean linear intercept (MLI), RAC/MLI ratios, and degree of fibrosis were measured to assess the changes in lung morphology. RESULTS: During the research period, survival rates in both HC and HE were notably reduced 7 days after endotoxin was administered, but body weight gain was considerably reduced only in HC. On day 14, significant arrest in alveolarization, as evidenced by the decrease of RAC and RAC/MLI ratio and increase of MLI as well as increased fibrosis, were noted in HC. Although slight but significant arrest in alveolarization and increased fibrosis score were observed in NE compared to NC, the hyperoxia-induced lung damage observed in HC was significantly improved in HE. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that intratracheal administration of endotoxin significantly attenuated hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonatal rats.
Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Body Weight ; Drug Administration Routes ; Endotoxins/*administration & dosage ; Hyperoxia/*complications ; Lung Diseases/*chemically induced/*etiology/pathology ; *Lung Injury ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect and mechanism of cinnabaris and realgar in promoting awake effect of endotoxin- induced brain injury rat applied with Angong Niuhuang Wan.

METHODNormal rats implanted cortical electrode in advance were divided into 6 groups: control, model, the Angong Niuhuang Wan (AGNH, 0.4, 0.2 g · kg(-1)), the Angong Niuhuang Wan without cinnabaris and realgar (QZX-AGNH, 0.32, 0.16 g · kg(-1)). Rats in the control and model groups were given distilled water. After three days of intragastric administration, the brain injury model was injected with endotoxin through tail vein. Then trace electro-corticogram (EcoG) 1-6 h after LPS injection, and compare the power and relative power of beta (β) and delta-waves (δ) at 6 h of these groups. The content of acetylcholine (Ach) and the affinity of M-receptor (M-R) in cortex and brainstem were detected by alkaline hydroxylamine colorimetric method and radioactive ligand binding assay, respectively.

RESULTAGNH (0.4, 0.2 g · kg(-1)) could increase the power and relative power of β and AGNH (0.4 g · kg(-1)) showed better action on brain electrical activation. QZX-AGNH showed weak effect on it. AGNH (0.4 g · kg(-1)) could increase the affinity of M-R in cortex and the content of Ach in brainstem. The action of QZX-AGNH was not obvious.

CONCLUSIONIn endotoxin-induced brain injury rats, AGNH can raise the cholinergic system function of cortex, and strengthen the uplink of cortex activation of brainstem cholinergic system, improve the level of cortical activity and enhance the activation of EcoG to promote the body's awakening. QZX-AGNH show weak effect. Cinnabaris and realgar play an important role in promoting awake effect in endotoxin-induced brain injury applied with Angong Niuhuang Wan. The mechanism may be related to cortical and brainstem cholinergic system function.

Animals ; Brain Injuries ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Endotoxins ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

This study was aimed to assess the effect of Shenfu injection on different circulation state. Using a microcirculation microscope system, we observed mice's auricle micro-artery diameter, density of capillary, blood velocity in different circulation state (i.e. normal state, epinephrine or endotoxin induced microcirculation disturbance state) after administering Shenfu injection into their caudal vein, and we compared the Shenfu group with Shenmai group and Dexamethasone group. The results showed that Shenfu injection causes the auricle microartery diameter to enlarge and the density of capillary and blood velocity to increase in different microcirculation state, and such effect is especially notable on the epinephrine induced microcirculation disturbance group and endotoxin induced microcirculation disturbance group; the effect of Shenfu injection is stronger than that of Shenmai injection and similar to Dexamethasone injection. In addition, Shenfu injection was shown to have remarkable effect on resisting the lowering of limb temperature when the mice are attacked by endotoxin.
Animals ; Blood Flow Velocity ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Ear ; blood supply ; Endotoxins ; toxicity ; Epinephrine ; toxicity ; Female ; Injections ; Male ; Mice ; Microcirculation ; drug effects ; physiology

This study examined the effect of experimentally induced fever on the pharmacokinetics of cefepime (75 mg/kg BW) administered intramuscularly to six rabbits. The study was carried out in two consecutive phases separated by a two-week washout period. An infection was induced by an intravenous inoculation of 5 x 10(8) colony-forming units of Escherichia coli 24 h before the pharmacokinetic investigation. A quantitative microbiological assay was employed to measure the plasma cefepime concentrations using an agar-gel diffusion method with Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 as the test organism. Twenty-four hour after the injection, the rectal temperature in the infected animals increased by 1degrees C. There was a significant reduction in the elimination halflife by 21.8% in the febrile rabbits compared to healthy animals. In addition, the infection significantly increased the peak plasma concentrations by 11.9%, the mean residence time by 19.9%, the area under the plasmaconcentration- time curve by 53.6% and the area under the moment curve by 62.3%. In conclusion, the endotoxin-induced febrile state produced significant changes in the plasma levels as well as some of the pharmacokinetic variables of cefepime in rabbits.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*administration&dosage/blood/*pharmacokinetics ; Area Under Curve ; Cephalosporins/*administration&dosage/blood/*pharmacokinetics ; Endotoxins/pharmacology ; Escherichia coli Infections/drug therapy/physiopathology ; Fever/chemically induced/*physiopathology ; Half-Life ; Injections, Intramuscular ; Male ; Rabbits

AIMTo investigate the effects of L-arginine and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor Aminoguanidine (AG) on endotoxin induced lung injury in rats.

METHODSForty eight healthy male SD rats weighing (300 +/- 20) g were used. The animals were anesthetized with 20% urethane 1 g x kg(-1). Common carotid artery (CAA) and common carotid vein (CAV) were exposed through a median incision in the neck. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured through a pressure transducer connected with intubation of CAA. The animals were randomly divided into six groups: group 1: control: group 2: LPS (5 mg x kg(-1) intravenous injection, i.v.); group 3: AG (50 mg x kg(-1) intraperitoneal injection, IP); group 4: high dose L-arginine (500 mg x kg(-1), IP); group 5: low dose L-arginine (250 mg x kg(-1) IP). Group 6: L-arginine + AG (250 mg x kg(-1), 50 mg x kg(-1), IP). Group 1: The animals were killed 6 h after 0.9% saline solution was given. Group 2: 0.9% saline solution was given 3 h after LPS i.v. and the animals were killed 3 h after medication. Group 3, 4, 5 and 6: AG, L-arginine and L-arginine+ AG were given 3 h after LPS i.v. respectively and the animals were killed 3 h after medication respectively. The pulmonary was removed immediately. The pulmonary coefficient and water content in pulmonary tissue were calculated (%). The NO content in plasma, MDA content and NOS, SOD activity in the pulmonary tissue were measured.

RESULTSL-arginine, AG and L-arginine + AG significantly decreased pulmonary coefficient and water content in pulmonary tissue and ameliorated endotoxin induced lung injury. AG and L-arginine + AG significantly decreased NO content in plasma, decreased MDA content and inhibited NOS activity and enhanced SOD activity in the pulmonary tissue.

CONCLUSIONIt may be concluded that L-arginine, AG and L-arginine + AG have beneficial effects on lung injury induced by LPS.

Animals ; Arginine ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Endotoxins ; adverse effects ; Guanidines ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Lung Injury ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of early enteral nutrition with synbiotics on the plasma endotoxin level, the nutritional state, the inflammatory response and the incidence of infectious complications in severely burned patients.

METHODSRandomized double blind and control method was employed im the study. Forty severely burned patients were randomly divided into A and B groups with 20 in each group. The patients in group A received early enteral nutrition with synbiotics including four kinds of lactic acid bacteria and four kinds of fibers, while those in group B received early enteral nutrition with synbiotics including only four kinds of fibers. The patients with 80% to 280% coefficient unit burned surface(UBS) were further divided into A1 (n = 10) and B1 (n = 11) groups. The plasma endotoxin level in group A and B was determined dynamically on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 10th, 14th, and 21st postburn days (PBD), and its abnormal rate in both groups was statistically analyzed in correlation with the normal endotoxin level. meanwhile, the mortality, the incidence of infectious complications and the blood bacterial culture results were compared between the two groups. The plasma levels of IL-1, IL-6 and prognostic inflammatory nutrition index (PINI) were also determined at the above time points.

RESULTSThe plasma endotoxin level in group A (37.9 +/- 5.4) ng/L was evidently lower than that in group B (59.1 +/- 7.9) ng/L (P < 0.05) on 10 PBD. The abnormal rate of plasma endotoxin in group A (36.7%) was evidently lower than that (49.2%) in group B (P < 0.05). Blood culture was positive in 3 patients in group A, and 5 in group B. There was no obvious difference in the incidence of infectious complication between the two groups. Two patients died in group A and 1 group B. There was no obvious difference in plasma IL-1 level between A1 and B1 groups at different time points. The plasma IL-6 level in A1 group in 10th and 14th PBD was evidently lower than that in B1 group (P < 0.05). The PINI in A1 group on the 10 PBD was remarkably lower than that in B1 group.

CONCLUSIONEarly enteral nutrition with synbiotics was helpful in decreasing inflammatory stress response and lowering the plasma endotoxin level. Enteral supplementation of synbiotics might be beneficial to the controlling of burn infection.

Adult ; Burns ; therapy ; Dietary Fiber ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Double-Blind Method ; Endotoxins ; blood ; Enteral Nutrition ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Mucosa ; drug effects ; Male ; Probiotics ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and its possible mechanism of the supplementation of probiotics combined with riboflavin on the intestinal barriers of the rats after scald injury.

METHODSSeventy Wistar rats were used in the study and were randomly divided into scald control (SC, n = 30), scald and treatment (ST, n = 30) and normal control (NC, n = 10) groups. The rats in SC and ST groups were subjected to 30% TBSA III degree scald. 1.5 ml of isotonic saline suspension containing 5 x 10(12) CFU/L of Bifidobacteria, 5 x 10(10) CFU/L of Bacillus cereus and 5 mg/L of riboflavin was given to rats by gavage in ST group twice a day. For the rats in SC and NC group equal amount of isotonic saline was fed twice a day. The changes in the incidence of bacterial translocation, the amount of intestinal membranous flora, the synthesis and secretion of SIgA in the ileum, and the repair of injured intestinal mucosa were observed.

RESULTSThe incidence of bacterial translocation in ST group was significantly lower than that in SC group (P = 0.000 - 0.025). The plasma level of endotoxin in ST group was markedly lower than that in SC group on 3 post-scald day (PSD) (P < 0.05). The amount of bifidobacteria in caecal membrane flora increased by about 20 to 40 fold, whereas the amounts of E. coli and fungi significantly decreased (P < 0.01). The membranous injury scoring was 3 to 0 on 5 PSD (P < 0.05), and the SIgA content in intestinal mucus returned to normal value on the 5th PSD (P < 0.01) in the ST group.

CONCLUSIONSupplementation of probiotics together with riboflavin could ameliorate translocation of bacteria and endotoxin in rats with scald injury, implying that the intestinal barrier function was effectively protected.

Animals ; Bacterial Translocation ; drug effects ; Burns ; microbiology ; therapy ; Endotoxins ; blood ; Female ; Intestinal Mucosa ; microbiology ; pathology ; Male ; Probiotics ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Riboflavin ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVEGlucocorticoid is considered as an effective drug for prevention and treatment of brain edema and reducing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is frequently used to treat neurological diseases with immune abnormality, its function and potential mechanism on brain edema have not been reported. In this study, the roles of the total hydrosulfide group (TSH), non-protein hydrosulfide group (NPSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in etiology of the endotoxin brain edema in infant rats and the interfering effects of dexamethasone (DEX) and IVIG were investigated.

METHODSIn 35 infant rats, 10 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was intraperitoneally injected. The same volume of normal saline was injected to 24 control rats. Ten mg/kg DEX and 400 mg/kg IVIG were intravenously injected respectively to 36 and 24 infant rats instantly following LPS injection. The TSH, NPSH and MDA concentrations and the brain Evans blue contents were detected at different time in the brain tissue. The brain water content was measured by drying method.

RESULTSThe brain water, EB and MDA contents after endotoxin injection were significantly higher than those of control group, while the brain TSH, NPSH content were significantly lower than those of control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); After treatment with DEX or IVIG, the brain EB, MDA and water content significantly decreased with the peak at 6 h (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), TSH and NPSH significantly increased compared with LPS group. However, the NPSH content in IVIG treatment group did not change significantly (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONFree radicals play a role in the brain edema induced by LPS in infant rats. The primary results suggested that DEX and IVIG have therapeutic effect for the endotoxin-induced brain edema by affecting the free radicals.

Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Brain Edema ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Dexamethasone ; therapeutic use ; Endotoxins ; toxicity ; Free Radicals ; analysis ; Glucocorticoids ; therapeutic use ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sulfides ; analysis