Plasma lipid peroxides in murine sepsis--sex differences and effect of antioxidative/anti-inflammatory therapy

In order to investigate the influence of antioxidative/anti-inflammatory combination therapy (AACT) with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), chlorpromazine (CPZ) and vitamin E upon the activity of the inflammation, plasma lipid peroxide was measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) 12 hrs postoperatively in the modified cecal ligation sepsis model in the mouse. Significantly higher TBARS levels were found in the male control group (13.7 +/- 0.7 nmol MDA/ml) than in the female control group (11.6 +/- 0.6 nmol MDA/ml). The operated male group had significantly higher TBARS levels (16.2 +/- 0.6 nmol MDA/ml) than the unoperated male control group (13.7 +/- 0.7 nmol MDA/ml). No increase of TBARS levels was observed in the operated female group. Both male and female operated group, when postoperatively treated with AACT had the same TBARS level as the not operated male or female control group. Survival curves of operated male and female group did not demonstrate any significant difference. The survival was better in an operated male and an operated female group, when postoperatively treated with AACT. It was concluded that the applied TBARS test is too insensitive to follow the activity of the inflammation and has no predictive value for the outcome of sepsis in this model.