Protective effect of the novel cyclic peptide ASK0912 on mice with sepsis induced by Acinetobacter baumannii

Sepsis has become a global health concern owing to its increasing incidence and high mortality rate. In the present study, we investigated a novel drug candidate ASK0912 on its protective effects in mice with Acinetobacter baumannii 20–1-induced sepsis, and studied the related mechanisms. To analyze the protective effect of ASK0912 on septic mice, survival rates, body temperature, organ and blood bacterial loads, white blood cell and platelet counts, organ damage, and cytokine levels were determined. ASK0912 remarkably increased the survival rate of mice with sepsis induced by A. baumannii 20–1 at a low dose of 0.6 mg/kg. Rectal temperature measurements showed that ASK0912 treatment prevented the body temperature decrease of septic mice to some extent. Treatment with ASK0912 can notably reduce the organ and blood bacterial loads and alleviate platelet count reduction due to sepsis. ASK0912 attenuated organ damage, including reduced levels of total bile acids, urea, and creatinine, aggregation of inflammatory cells, and mitigation of structural changes in septic mice, as demonstrated by biochemical analysis and hematoxylin & eosin staining. Additionally, multiplex assay showed that abnormally increased cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-3, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, MCP-1, RANTES, KC, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and G-CSF) in septic mice decreased after ASK0912 treatment. ASK0912 can not only improve the survival rate, hypothermia, lower the bacterial loads in the organs and blood, but also alleviate the pathophysiological manifestations such as intravascular coagulation abnormalities, organ damages, and immune system disorder of sepsis mice induced by A. baumannii 20–1. [Display omitted] •ASK0912 remarkably increased the survival rate of septic mice.•ASK0912 improved hypothermia, reduced bacterial loads.•ASK0912 lightened intravascular coagulation abnormalities.•ASK0912 reduced organ damage and maintained immune system homeostasis.