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Published on: April 30, 2020
A comparison of elderly and adult multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in the rat model
Qinglei Zhu1, Xiaoshun Qian, Shiwen Wang
1Institute of Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Fuxing Road 28, Beijing 100853, China. qlzhu@yahoo.com
Abstract:
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in the elderly is the most common cause of mortality in critically ill elderly patients, and it is different from MODS in the adult in clinic. Rare studies have been done on its pathogenesis and the comparison between adult and elderly MODS animal models. This work aimed at exploring the mechanisms mediating elderly MODS and compared this with adult MODS. Male Sprague-Dawley aged and adult rats were intraperitoneally injected with zymosan for incitement of MODS. Aged rats receiving zymosan showed severer pulmonary, cardiac and renal dysfunctions than adult rats. Likewise, the tissue lesions under light microscope in major organs of zymosan treated aged rats were much worse than those of zymosan treated adult rats. Moreover, zymosan treated aged rats showed 142% and 64% greater increase in pulmonary alveolar macrophages (AMs) apoptotic rate and serum TNF-alpha level, respectively, whereas 43% smaller increase in serum IL-10 level compared to zymosan treated adult rats. Furthermore, lung injury was much worse than that in other organs in zymosan treated aged rats. Overall, these results suggest that zymosan can be used in aged rats to incite MODS in the elderly. In the animal model of elderly MODS, there are (1) severer injury in lung, heart and kidney vs adult; (2) easier to develop severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) instead of compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome (CARS) compared to the adult; and (3) severer inflammation in lung than other organs indicative of the possible roles of lung in triggering MODS in the elderly.
Insights
Elderly patients experience more severe multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) than adults. Aged rats induced with zymosan showed heightened inflammation and organ damage, particularly in the lungs, indicating a distinct elderly MODS model.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Critical Care Medicine
- Pathology
Background:
- Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is a leading cause of mortality in critically ill elderly patients.
- Pathogenesis and comparative animal models of MODS in adults versus the elderly are understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms of MODS in the elderly.
- To compare elderly MODS with adult MODS using an animal model.
Main Methods:
- Male Sprague-Dawley aged and adult rats were used.
- Zymosan was administered intraperitoneally to induce MODS.
- Pulmonary, cardiac, and renal functions were assessed.
- Histopathological analysis of major organs was performed.
- Apoptotic rates of pulmonary alveolar macrophages (AMs) and serum cytokine levels (TNF-alpha, IL-10) were measured.
Main Results:
- Aged rats exhibited more severe pulmonary, cardiac, and renal dysfunction compared to adult rats after zymosan injection.
- Histopathological examination revealed significantly worse tissue lesions in aged rats.
- Aged rats showed a greater increase in AM apoptosis and serum TNF-alpha, and a smaller increase in serum IL-10.
- Lung injury was notably more severe in aged rats than in other organs.
Conclusions:
- Zymosan effectively induces MODS in aged rats, serving as a suitable model for elderly MODS.
- Elderly MODS is characterized by more severe multi-organ injury, a propensity for systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) over compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome (CARS), and pronounced lung inflammation compared to adult MODS.