Abstract.
Purpose: The levels of thyroid hormones decrease in septic, critically ill, and major trauma patients who show a bad prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of thyroid hormone supplementation on the sepsis criteria and mortality in an experimental sepsis model.
Methods: Forty-eight Wistar-Albino rats were divided into four experimental groups. A cecum ligation and puncture was used as a sepsis model. Group I: sham; group II: a cecum ligation and puncture (control); group III: a cecum ligation and puncture +T3 (0.4 μg/100 g body weight/day) intraperitoneally; group IV: a cecum ligation and puncture +T4 (1 500 ng/100 g body weight/day) intramuscularly. The PCO2, leukocyte count, peritoneal bacterial content, neutropenia, and mortality rates were assessed in all groups.
Results: The PCO2 levels decreased only in the control group (P < 0.05). The leukocyte counts were lower in the therapy groups (P < 0.05). The rate of neutropenia was seen much more in the control group (P < 0.05). The peritoneal bacteria content decreased in the therapy groups (P < 0.05). The mortality rate significantly decreased in the thyroid hormone-treated animals (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Thyroid hormone supplementation in septic rats had a beneficial effect on the sepsis criteria and also resulted in a lower rate of mortality.
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Received: November 26, 2001 / Accepted: July 2, 2002
Reprint requests to: A. Koyuncu
Presented at the 10th Anniversary of Eurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey, 20–24 June, 2000
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Inan, M., Koyuncu, A., Aydin, C. et al. Thyroid Hormone Supplementation in Sepsis: An Experimental Study. Surg Today 33, 24–29 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s005950300004
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s005950300004