The levels of cytokines in rats following the use of prophylactic agents in vascular graft infection.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the circulating levels of IL-1, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-? in serum following the use of topical and intra-peritoneal vancomycin and teicoplanin, as well as topical fusidic acid to prevent MRSA vascular graft infection in a rat model.

METHODS

Graft infections were established in the subcutaneous tissue of rats by implantation of Dacron prostheses. Circulating levels of IL-1, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-alpha were measured in serum samples of all rats obtained by ELISA at sacrifice.

RESULTS

The mean serum levels of IL-1, IL-6 and IL-10 were found indifferent in all groups. The mean serum levels of TNF-alpha were as follows: 32.9 +/- 9.9 pg/ml in uncontaminated control group, 59.9 +/- 7.1 pg/ml in untreated contaminated group, 41.4 +/- 11.5 pg/ml in intraperitoneal vancomycin group, 39.6 +/- 10.1 pg/ml in intraperitoneal teicoplanin group, 35.6 +/- 8.2 pg/ml in topical vancomycin group, 37.3 +/- 19.5 pg/ml in topical teicoplanin group, 35.5 +/- 16.7 pg/ml in topical 10% fusidic acid group, 36.4 +/- 6.9 pg/ml in topical 40% fusidic acid group. The level of TNF-alpha in untreated contaminated group was significantly higher than in all of the other groups (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, p < 0.02, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSION

TNF-alpha was determined to be a more accurate cytokine than IL-1, IL-6 and IL-10 in a rat model in which intra-peritoneal and topical glycopeptides as well as fusidic acid were administered for the prevention of vascular graft infection (Tab. 3, Fig. 2, Ref. 20).