Recombinant human thrombomodulin attenuated sepsis severity in a non-surgical preterm mouse model

Sci Rep. 2020 Jan 15;10(1):333. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-57265-2.

Abstract

Neonatal sepsis is characterised by dysregulated immune responses. Lipid mediators (LMs) are involved in the regulation of inflammation. Human recombinant thrombomodulin (rhTM), an anticoagulant, has anti-inflammatory effects and might be useful for sepsis treatment. A stock caecal slurry (CS) solution was prepared from adult caeca. To induce sepsis, 1.5 mg/g of CS was administered intraperitoneally to 4 d-old wild-type FVB mouse pups. Saline (Veh-CS) or rhTM (3 or 10 mg/kg; rhTM3-CS or rhTM10-CS) was administered subcutaneously 6 h prior to sepsis induction, and liver LM profiles at 3 and 6 h post-sepsis induction and survival up to 7 days were examined. Mortality was significantly lower (47%) in the rhTM3-CS group and significantly higher (100%) in the rhTM10-CS group, compared with the Veh-CS group (79%, p < 0.05). Eleven LMs (12-HEPE, EPA, 14-HDHA, DHA, PD1, PGD2, 15d-PGJ2, 12S-HHT, lipoxin B4, 12-HETE, AA) were significantly increased at 3 h, and five LMs (5-HEPE, 15-HEPE, 18-HEPE, 17-HDHA, PD1) were significantly increased at 6 h post-sepsis induction. Increased EPA, DHA, 12S-HHT, lipoxin B4, and AA were significantly suppressed by rhTM pre-treatment. rhTM was protective against neonatal sepsis. This protective effect might be mediated via LM modulation. Further post-sepsis studies are needed to determine clinical plausibility.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Arachidonic Acids / analysis
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Dinoprostone / analysis
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids / analysis
  • Gases / blood
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Mice
  • Protective Agents / therapeutic use
  • Recombinant Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Recombinant Proteins / therapeutic use
  • Sepsis / drug therapy*
  • Sepsis / mortality
  • Sepsis / pathology
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • Thrombomodulin / genetics
  • Thrombomodulin / metabolism
  • Thrombomodulin / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Arachidonic Acids
  • Gases
  • Protective Agents
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Thrombomodulin
  • resolvin D2
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids
  • Dinoprostone