Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia is more common and more lethal in the elderly. The immunologic underpinnings of this increased incidence and mortality have not been evaluated, however are assumed to be a complication of age-associated immune dysfunction.
Methods: Young (10-12week old) and aged (18-20month old) BALB/c mice were subjected to intratracheal infection of P.
Events such as a nuclear meltdown accident or nuclear attack have potential for severe radiation injuries. Radiation injury frequently occurs in combination with other forms of trauma, most often burns. Thus far, combined injury studies have focused mainly on skin wound healing and damage to the gut.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlcohol consumption leads to an exaggerated inflammatory response after burn injury. Elevated levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients are associated with increased morbidity and mortality after injury, and high systemic and pulmonary levels of IL-6 have been observed after the combined insult of ethanol exposure and burn injury. To further investigate the role of IL-6 in the pulmonary inflammatory response, we examined leukocyte infiltration and cytokine and chemokine production in the lungs of wild-type and IL-6 knockout mice given vehicle or ethanol (1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClinical and laboratory investigations have provided evidence that ethanol suppresses normal lung immunity. Our initial studies revealed that acute ethanol exposure results in transient suppression of phagocytosis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by macrophages as early as 3 h after initial exposure. Focusing on mechanisms by which ethanol decreases macrophage Fcγ-receptor (FcγR) phagocytosis we targeted the study on the focal adhesion and cytoskeletal elements that are necessary for phagosome progression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAging affects many aspects of the cellular function of macrophages. Macrophages play a critical role in innate immunity, acting as sentinels to fight pathogens, promoting wound healing, and orchestrating the development of the specific acquired immune response. However, little is known about how age influences the ability of macrophage to change phenotypes in response to environmental factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCombined radiation and burn injuries are likely to occur after nuclear events, such as a meltdown accident at a nuclear energy plant or a nuclear attack. Little is known about the mechanisms by which combined injuries result in higher mortality than by either insult alone, and few animal models exist for combined radiation and burn injury. Herein, the authors developed a murine model of radiation and scald burn injury.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPulmonary infections are a major cause of mortality in the critically ill burn patient. Alcohol consumption before burn increases the risk of pulmonary infection. Previously, we have shown an elevated mortality and lung pathology in mice given ethanol before burn and intratracheal infection relative to controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Clinical and laboratory evidence suggests that alcohol consumption prior to burn injury leads to dysregulated immune function and subsequent higher rates of morbidity and mortality. Our laboratory previously observed higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and leukocyte infiltration in the lungs of mice following ethanol and burn injury. To understand the mechanism of the increased inflammatory response, we looked at different signaling initiators of inflammation including toll-like receptors 2 and 4 (TLR2 and 4) pathways.
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