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Updated: Sep 27, 2026

Rat Burn Model to Study Full-Thickness Cutaneous Thermal Burn and Infection
Published on: August 23, 2022
[Study on the intra- and extra-hepatocyte distribution of sodium ions in scalded rats during early postburn stage]
Zhaofan Xia1, Guangyi Wang, Hongtai Tang
1Department of Burns, Chang Hai Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433. P.R. China.
Objective:
To investigate the characteristics of the intra- and extra-hepatocyte sodium ions distribution in scalded rats during early postburn stage,with the aim of improving burn shock resuscitation regime and the resuscitation effects.
Methods:
Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham scalding (C, n = 12) and scalding (S, n = 7) groups. The rats in S group were subjected to 40% TBSA III degree scalding on the back and were catheterized via jugular vein for fluid resuscitation. The rats in C group were catheterized via jugular vein without fluid infusion and were sham scalded by warm water in temperature of 37 degrees. The changes in the intra- and extra-hepatocyte sodium ion contents were determined in vivo by (23)Na-magnetic resonance spectrum technology, while the existing state of the intra- and extra-hepatocyte sodium ion was determined by detecting (23)Na-magnetic resonance horizontal delaying time (T(2)).
Results:
The extra-hepatocyte sodium content in S group at 24 postburn hours (PBHs) was 17% less than that in C group. In addition, the T(2f) (fast T(2)) in S group remained stable but maintained a higher ratio during the observation time. This suggested that the sodium binding sites in extra-hepatocyte matrix increased relatively and that intra-hepatocyte sodium content increased by 57%. But the T(2) and the fast and slow parts of the T(2) kept stable, which implied that intra-hepatocyte catabolizing products were increased. This led to an increase in the sodium ion binding sites within intra-hepatocyte matrix in proportion to the sodium ion content.
Conclusion:
During early postburn stage, the extra-hepatocyte sodium in a remote organ such as the liver exhibited relative deficiency due to its ingress into hepatocyte cytoplasm and to the increase of sodium combining sites.

