The study of immune modulator effect of the beta glucan in an experimental model of intraabdominal sepsis formed by staphylococcus aureus

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to investigate the immune modulator effect of beta glucan in an experimental model of intraabdominal sepsis formed by S. aureus.Materials and Methods: Thirty Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into five groups. Sepsis, treatment with cefazolin, treatment with beta glucan, treatment with both cefazolin and beta glucan, and control groups were constituted respectively. 4 mg/kg beta glucan and 100 mg/kg cefazolin were given after 12x10 8 cfu/ml 1 cc S. aureus was given intraabdominally. After two hours, 0.5 cc blood was drawn and put into blood culture bottles. Levels of TNF-?, IL-1, IL-6, and IFN-? were evaluated after 4th, 6th and 8th hours.Results: According to the biochemical analyses, beta glucan increased the level of IFN-? at 4th hour, but did not at 6th and 8th hours. This increase became more apparent at 6 th hour when it was given with cefazolin. However IFN-? levels were higher in the group which cefazolin was given than beta glucan was. As the level of serum TNF-? was evaluated, it was found to be higher in the group which beta glucan was given although there was a supression at 8th hour than the sepsis group. Serum IL-1 levels were higher at 4th, 6th and 8th hours in the group beta glucan was given than the sepsis group. Although a decline in IL-1 level was detected in the group which cefazolin was added to beta glucan at 8th hour, this level was found to be higher than the sepsis group. As the level of IL-6 was evaluated, an increase in release of IL-6 was found in the group beta glucan was given in the first 8 hours when it was compared with sepsis group. When beta glucan was given with cefazolin, it was observed that IL-6 increased to the highest level at 8th hour.Conclusion: In the experimental intraabdominal sepsis model, beta glucan didnot supress the production of TNF-? and IL-1, and increased the release of IL-6 and IFN-? especially in the first hours. According to these results, significant knowledge (information) about usage of beta glucan in treatment of sepsis couldn?t be achieved.Key Words: Sepsis, beta glucan, cytokines