Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026
Rat Burn Model to Study Full-Thickness Cutaneous Thermal Burn and Infection
Published on: August 23, 2022
Burn wounds infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa triggers weight loss in rats
Lars Steinstraesser1, Olaf Burkhard, Ming H Fan
1Dept. of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0666, USA. lars.steinstraesser@rub.de
Background:
Despite dramatic improvements in the management of burns, infection still remains a serious risk for the burn patient. The aim of this study was to shed light on the impact of acute burn injury with or without infection on cytokine profiles.
Methods:
Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 21) were randomized into three groups: 1) burn only 2) burn and infection or 3) sham burn. Weight was monitored and blood was collected for cytokine ELISA, LPS quantification, and peripheral blood analysis. Animals were sacrificed either after 6 or 12 days.
Results:
Infected animals showed substantial weight loss until day 6 post-burn as compared to burn alone. Endotoxin and TNF-alpha levels were elevated early in the infected burn group within 48 hours post-burn. In contrast, significant up-regulation of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 occurred later in the clinical course and was associated with the recovery from weight loss.
Conclusion:
Our results suggest that in the presence of infection, you get a SIRS response possibly due to transient endotoxemia that is only seen in the infection group. In contrast, both burn and infection get a late IL-10 (CARS) response, which is then associated with a return to normal weight in the infection group.
