EFFECT OF AMIFOSTINE (WR-2721) ON BACTERIAL TRANSLOCATION AFTER BURN
INJURY: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
Abstract
Introduction Disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier has been
shown to occur following burn injury. This process can lead to
translocation of pathogens from the gut lumen to the systemic
circulation and distant organs thereby increasing the risk for sepsis.
The aim of this study was to examine the effect of amifostine (WR-2721)
on bacterial translocation in a rat burn injury model. Materials and
Methods A total of 27 male Wistar albino rats were divided into three
groups of nine. Group I was a control group. Group II was subjected to
third-degree burns over 30% of the total body surface area, and group
III was administered amifostine 200 ml/kg intraperitoneally, followed by
a 10 ml/kg/day maintenance dose after undergoing third-degree burns.
After 48 hours, tissue and blood samples were obtained and cultured from
the liver, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, and cecum. Results Blood
cultures were negative in all groups. In the control group, colonization
appeared only in the cecum, but in groups II and III, colonization was
found in the liver, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, and cecum. While
bacterial colonization was most frequently found in the cecum and
mesenteric lymph nodes, bacterial counts did not significantly differ in
the cecum (P = 0.298) and mesenteric lymph nodes (P = 0.418) between
groups II and III. Conclusions Amifostine alone is not effective in
controlling bacterial translocation associated with burn injuries. These
results should be interpreted with caution as there are a number of
factors that affect bacterial translocation.