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Updated: Jun 8, 2026
A Controlled Mouse Model for Neonatal Polymicrobial Sepsis
Published on: January 27, 2019
The β-human chorionic gonadotropin-related peptide LQGV reduces mortality and inflammation in a murine polymicrobial
Jan Willem van den Berg1, Willem A Dik, Marten van der Zee
1Department of Immunology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Objective:
Mortality in sepsis remains high and efforts to modulate the inflammatory response so far mostly failed to improve survival. The human chorionic gonadotropin-related tetrapeptide LQGV was recently shown to exert anti-inflammatory activity. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of LQGV on cecal ligation and puncture-induced mortality and inflammation.
Design:
Animal study.
Setting:
University research laboratory.
Subjects:
Male C57BL/6 mice.
Interventions:
To examine the effect of LQGV by itself on cecal ligation and puncture-induced mortality and inflammation, C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a moderate cecal ligation and puncture procedure (40% ligation and double puncture) with a mortality rate of approximately 80% within 5 days in control mice. In addition, to examine whether LQGV was of additive value to standard sepsis care (antibiotics and fluid resuscitation), a more severe cecal ligation and puncture procedure was used (80% ligation and double puncture), yielding approximately 100% mortality within 12 days in control mice. LQGV (5 mg/kg body weight), phosphate-buffered saline (as control), or dexamethasone (2.5 mg/kg body weight) was administered perioperatively. Survival was monitored for 21 days and inflammatory markers were determined in plasma, peritoneal cavity, and lungs.
Measurements And Main Results:
LQGV significantly improved survival from 20% to 50% during the first 5 days after moderate cecal ligation and puncture. This was associated with reduced cytokine and E-selectin levels in peritoneal lavage fluid, lungs, and, to a lesser extent, in plasma. LQGV treatment also reduced pulmonary nuclear factor-κB activation and pulmonary damage. In the severe cecal ligation and puncture model, LQGV combined with fluid resuscitation and antibiotics resulted in significantly better survival (70%) than that observed with fluid resuscitation and antibiotics alone (30%).
Conclusions:
LQGV improves survival after cecal ligation and puncture. This is likely established by a modest reduction of the acute inflammatory response through a nuclear factor-κB-dependent mechanism. Furthermore, LQGV may be a valuable additive next to the standard care in polymicrobial sepsis.
