Micro- and Macrocirculatory Changes During Sepsis and Septic Shock in a Rat Model

Microcirculation is the motor of sepsis. In the present study, we investigated whether microcirculatory alterations occur before changes of systemic hemodynamics in a rat model of cecum ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis. We further investigated renal microcirculatory changes during sepsis and compared those with buccal microcirculation. Twelve male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into a sham control group (n = 6) and a CLP group (n = 6). Perfused microvessel density (PVD) and microvascular flow index (MFI) were evaluated using sidestream dark field (SDF) video microscopy at baseline—60, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 min following CLP. A semiquantitative score was calculated for vessels of less than 20 μm, primarily representing the capillaries. Hemodynamic measurements such as cardiac output (CO), aortic pressure (AP), heart rate (HR), end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2), blood pH, and lactate were measured simultaneously. The serum cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) was measured at baseline—120, 240, and 360 min. In the CLP group, buccal PVD and MFI were reduced at 180 min (P 
Source: Shock - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Basic Science Aspects Source Type: research