Effects of a peripheral cholinesterase inhibitor on cytokine production and autonomic nervous activity in a rat model of sepsis.

Purpose: Recently, cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway manipulation has been proposed as a new strategy to control cytokine production in sepsis. We investigated whether hypercytokinemia can be controlled via this pathway in an animal model of sepsis, with concomitant monitoring of autonomic nervous activity involving heart rate variability (HRV) analysis of electrocardiographic R-R intervals.

Methods: Sixty-eight adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used (28 for examination of cytokine production and autonomic nervous activity; 40 for survival analysis).

Experimental examination of anti-inflammatory effects of a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, tropisetron, and concomitant effects on autonomic nervous function in a rat sepsis model.

Background: A 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist, tropisetron, has been reported to exhibit an anti-inflammatory effect in chronic inflammatory diseases by antagonizing a particular subtype of serotonin receptors. We investigated whether overproduction of cytokines could be controlled by intervention with tropisetron in an animal model of sepsis and also examined the effects of tropisetron on autonomic nervous activity.

Methods: Sixty-eight adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used (28 for examination of cytokine production and autonomic nervous activity; 40 for survival analysis).