Local production of oxygen free radicals and nitric oxide in rat diaphragm during sepsis: effects of pentoxifylline and somatostatin.

Objective: To investigate the effect of giving lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on lipid peroxidation, and myeloperoxidase (MPO), nitric oxide (NO) synthase, and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activities in rat diaphragm, and see whether they could be modified by giving pentoxifylline (PTXF) or somatostatin.

Design: Randomised experimental study.

Setting: Teaching hospital, Spain.

Material: 76 Wistar rats divided into 4 groups of 19: control (saline/saline), LPS/saline, LPS/PTXF and LPS/somatostatin.

Interventions: The LPS was given intraperitoneally either 30 minutes (early, n = 10 in each group) or 120 minutes (late, n = 9 in each group) before treatment with saline, PTXF (45 mg/kg) or somatostatin (200 microg/kg) given intraperitoneally. Rats were killed 120 minutes after treatment.

Main Outcome Measures: Malondialdehyde (MDA) and conjugated dienes content, and MPO, NO synthase, and PLA2 activities in diaphragmatic tissue.

Results: Conjugated dienes and MDA content, as well as MPO, NO synthase, and PLA2 activities were significantly increased in the rats given LPS. Independently of the timing of treatment, both PTXF and somatostatin completely prevented these increases.

Conclusion: It is possible that treatment with PTXF or somatostatin may reduce the risk of ventilatory failure and speed recovery in septic patients.