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Published on: August 30, 2019
Liver injury and abscess formation in secondary murine peritonitis
Andreas M Lenz1, Mark Fairweather, James C Peyton
1Department of Surgery, University of Louisville, 550 South Jackson Street, Louisville, Kentucky, 40292, USA.
Objective:
To investigate liver damage and abscess formation in murine, secondary peritonitis.
Subjects:
Male C57BL/6 mice.
Treatment:
Intraperitoneal injection with 10(3) CFU Klebsiella pneumoniae and treatment with gentamicin 5 mg/kg/day (BID), subcutaneously.
Methods:
Animals were killed at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after infection. Bacterial burden was determined in the blood and the liver. Liver abscess formation was assessed macroscopically and microscopically. Plasma levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were measured. Polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) accumulation was assessed via tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentrations. Liver interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels were determined by ELISA.
Results:
K. pneumoniae was detectable in the blood and the liver at 12 h after infection. Liver abscess formation was visible earliest at 24 h after infection and most pronounced within the right liver lobes. ALP and ALT levels peaked at 12 and 24 h after infection, respectively. MPO was elevated in the right and left liver lobes at 12 h but only in the right lobes at 48 h after infection, compared to tissue levels in naïve mice. Liver IL-10 concentrations were not significantly increased.
Conclusion:
Peritonitis led to liver injury and abscess formation but did not significantly affect tissue concentrations of anti-inflammatory IL-10.
Insights
Secondary peritonitis in mice caused liver damage and abscess formation. Despite significant inflammation, anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 levels remained unchanged.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology and Infectious Disease Research
- Murine Model of Bacterial Peritonitis
Background:
- Secondary peritonitis can lead to severe complications, including liver injury.
- Understanding the host response, particularly liver damage and abscess formation, is crucial for effective treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate liver damage and abscess development in a murine model of secondary peritonitis.
- To assess the role of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the context of Klebsiella pneumoniae-induced liver injury.
Main Methods:
- Male C57BL/6 mice were infected intraperitoneally with Klebsiella pneumoniae.
- Gentamicin was administered as treatment.
- Bacterial burden, liver abscess formation, liver enzymes (ALP, ALT), polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) infiltration (MPO), and IL-10 levels were assessed at various time points.
Main Results:
- Klebsiella pneumoniae was detected in blood and liver tissues within 12 hours post-infection.
- Liver abscesses were evident by 24 hours, predominantly in the right liver lobes.
- Elevated liver enzymes and MPO indicated significant liver injury and inflammation, while IL-10 levels did not significantly increase.
Conclusions:
- Secondary peritonitis induces substantial liver injury and abscess formation in mice.
- The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 does not appear to be significantly upregulated in response to this type of liver injury.
