Protective effect of bactericidal/permeability increasing protein on hemorrhagic shock and its mechanism 1

Effects of bactericidal/permeability increasing protein (BPI, 1.5 and 3.5 mg·kg 1 iv immediately at the beginning of shock and resuscitation respectively) on the outcome of hemorrhagic shock was investigated in rats. It was found that BPI administration could improve hepatic and renal function after hemorrhagic shock, and enhance survival rate of shocked rats(BPI group 81% vs shock group 44%, P0.05). In BPI group, plasma endotoxin levels were not shown to be significantly changed (0.20±0.04 at the end of resuscitation vs 0.24±0.05 kU·L 1 before shock), tumour necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 levels were markedly elevated after shock and resuscitation. But all of them were significantly lower than those in shock group. It is suggested that BPI has a protection against rat hemorrhagic shock, which might be related to its antagonism against hemorrhage induced endotoxin translocation and then inhibition of cytokine responses in shock.