The effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the treatment of Escherichia coli peritonitis with or without ceftriaxone in a nonneutropenic rat model.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in the treatment of Escherichia coli peritonitis with and without ceftriaxone in a nonneutropenic rat model.

Methods: The rats were divided into five groups: control group (C) receiving physiological saline; peritonitis group (P) infected intraperitoneally with a live bacterial suspension of E. coli; peritonitis and antibiotic group (PA) receiving ceftriaxone 3 h after being infected; peritonitis, antibiotic, and G-CSF group (PAG) receiving G-CSF and antibiotic 3 h after infection; and peritonitis and G-CSF group (PG).

Results: All rats in group C survived. Any animals which did not survive died within 24h after inoculation. A significantly higher rate of survival, 95%, was observed with antibiotic treatment alone (PA), in comparison to the G-CSF-treated groups, PAG and PG, 52% and 57%, respectively.

Conclusion: No beneficial effect of G-CSF treatment was seen in the E. coli peritonitis and antibiotic therapy remains the basic treatment for this disease.