[Effect of ulinastatin on expressions of serum cardiac troponin I, myocardial tumor necrosis factor-alpha and endothelin-1 in septic rats].

Objective: To investigate the myocardial protective effects of different dosage of ulinastatin (UTI) and the possible mechanism in septic rats.

Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into five groups: control group, sham group, model group, UTI in low dose or high dose group. Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was adopted to reproduce animal model of sepsis. Left ventricular myocardium was harvested and blood samples were collected at 24 hours after successful establishment of animal model. Serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI), the contents of myocardial tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured, and myocardial pathological changes were observed.

Results: In the model group, the level of serum cTnI, and the expressions of myocardial TNF-alpha and ET-1 were much higher than those in control group [cTnI (microg/L): 7.58+/-0.53 vs. 1.05+/-0.21, TNF-alpha (pg/g): 945.6+/-72.0 vs. 238.2+/-35.2, ET-1 (pg/g): 776.8+/-123.9 vs. 170.1+/-28.3, all P<0.01]. There were no differences in the levels of serum cTnI, myocardial TNF-alpha and ET-1 between low dose UTI group and the model group [cTnI (microg/L): 7.21+/-0.51 vs. 7.58+/-0.53, TNF-alpha (pg/g): 910.5+/-96.6 vs. 945.6+/-72.0, ET-1 (pg/g): 714.0+/-66.7 vs. 776.8+/-123.9, all P>0.05]. However, serum cTnI, myocardial TNF-alpha and ET-1 were lower significantly in high dose UTI group than in model group [cTnI (microg/L): 4.30+/-0.84 vs. 7.58+/-0.53, TNF-alpha (pg/g): 430.5+/-75.6 vs. 945.6+/-72.0, ET-1 (pg/g): 377.1+/-39.0 vs. 776.8+/-123.9, all P<0.01].

Conclusion: High dose (but not low dose) UTI may protect myocardium from the damage resulted from sepsis in a rat model, probably by lowering expressions of TNF-alpha and ET-1.