Effects of polyenylphosphatidylcholine on cytokines, nitrite/nitrate levels, antioxidant activity and lipid peroxidation in rats with sepsis

To determine the effect of pretreatment with polyenylphosphatidylcholine (lecithin, PPC) on plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, total nitrite/nitrate (NOx), and tissue levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in septic rats. Prospective, randomized, controlled animal study. University laboratory. Forty-five Spraque-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: group C, sham-operated; group S, sepsis; and group P, sepsis pretreated with PPC. Rats were made septic by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Group P rats were treated with PPC (100 mg/day orally) for 10 days before sepsis. Twenty-four hours later CLP, plasma concentrations of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-10 and plasma levels of NOx were measured. SOD and MDA were determined in liver, lung and heart homogenates. All rats in group P survived during the 24-h observation time after CLP, whereas survival rate in group S was 66.7% (10/15; P