| First Author | Ganopolsky JG | Year | 2004 |
| Journal | Am J Pathol | Volume | 165 |
| Issue | 4 | Pages | 1433-46 |
| PubMed ID | 15466407 | Mgi Jnum | J:93672 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3487352 | Doi | 10.1016/S0002-9440(10)63401-3 |
| Citation | Ganopolsky JG, et al. (2004) A protein C deficiency exacerbates inflammatory and hypotensive responses in mice during polymicrobial sepsis in a cecal ligation and puncture model. Am J Pathol 165(4):1433-46 |
| abstractText | During the systemic inflammatory state induced by sepsis, the potential for coagulopathy exists because of up-regulation of natural procoagulants and anti-fibrinolytics, and down-regulation of natural anti-coagulants, with protein C (PC) being a critical example of the latter case. PC functions as an anti-coagulant, profibrinolytic, and anti-inflammatory agent, and, thus, its administration or deficiency may affect the course and outcome of sepsis in patients. In this study, a cecal ligation and puncture model of septic peritonitis was applied to wild-type mice and littermates with a targeted heterozygous deficiency of PC (PC(+/-)) to characterize the importance of a PC-deficiency on polymicrobial sepsis. An enhanced mortality rate was found to accompany a PC deficiency. Plasma cytokines, as well as organ-specific expression of cytokine transcripts, were elevated in PC(+/-) mice. No signs of severe disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) were observed in wild-type or PC(+/-) mice, as indicated by an increase in fibrinogen levels and the invariability of platelet counts after cecal ligation and puncture. Consumption of coagulation factors was similar in both genotypes and a decrease in the PC mRNA and protein levels was more prominent in PC(+/-) mice. Renal and organ muscle damage was enhanced in PC(+/-) mice, as shown by increases in plasma blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and creatinine kinase. Hypotension and bradycardia were more enhanced in PC(+/-) mice than in wild-type mice, thus provoking a more severe septic shock response. Thus, the hemodynamic role of PC during sepsis is of critical importance to the outcome of the disease. |
