Treatment with a platelet-activating factor receptor antagonist improves hemodynamics and reduces epinephrine requirements, in a lethal rodent model of anaphylactic shock.

BACKGROUND

In some cases, anaphylactic shock (AS) is still lethal, despite rapid use of epinephrine. High doses of epinephrine are associated with severe complications. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is secreted in massive amounts during AS, and a high plasma level is correlated with increased AS severity.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of ABT-491, a PAF-receptor antagonist and possible adjunct treatment, alone or in combination with epinephrine during AS.

METHODS

AS was induced by intravenous injection of 1 mg ovalbumin into ovalbumin-sensitized rats. Rats were then randomly assigned to 5 groups (n = 10 per group): SHAM (vehicle only), SHOCK (no treatment), ABT (ABT-491 1 mg/kg), EPI (epinephrine 5 µg as a bolus then 10 µg kg-1  min-1 by continuous infusion, followed by a reducing protocol) and EPI-ABT (both treatments).

RESULTS

Ovalbumin injection resulted in a severe decrease in mean arterial pressure, left ventricular inotropy (max dP/dt) and left ventricular shortening fraction (LVSF). All rats from the ABT group survived until the end of the experiment. ABT-491 prevented the LVSF decrease observed in the SHOCK group (at T15: ABT 50% ± 11% vs SHOCK 36% ± 9%, P = .01), significantly reduced the dose of epinephrine needed to treat anaphylactic shock (EPI-ABT 314 ± 67 µg/kg vs EPI 475 ± 69 µg/kg, P < .001) and reduced the time to restore basal MAP (ABT 23 ± 7 minutes vs EPI-ABT 13 ± 5 minutes, P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: AS was characterized by early cardiac dysfunction in our model. Treatment with ABT-491 allowed survival until the end of the experiment and reduced cardiac dysfunction. Use of the PAF-R antagonist had a synergistic effect with epinephrine and allowed a significant reduction in epinephrine consumption. Use of PAF-R antagonists during AS could reduce epinephrine-related complications and improve the treatment of epinephrine refractory cases.