Estrogens ameliorate remote organ inflammation induced by burn injury in rats

The present study was designed to investigate the role of sex steroids in burn-induced remote organ injury. Male Wistar albino rats were given burn trauma (n=39), and underwent castration or sham operation at 2 h following the burn injury. Rats were injected sc with either 17beta estradiol benzoate (E2, 10 mg/kg) or an androgen receptor blocker cyproterone acetate (CPA, 25 mg/kg) or vehicle, immediately after burn and at 12 h. At 24 h of burn insult, rats were decapitated. Blood samples for RIA of testosterone, estradiol and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and the tissue samples for myeloperoxidase activitiy (MPO) were taken. ANOVA student's t test was used for statistical analysis. Castration, antiandrogen and E2 treatments increased plasma estradiol levels and depressed burn-induced elevation in serum TNF-alpha levels. In the liver and lung, burn-induced increase in MPO was reduced by E2 and castration, while CPA was effective in reducing neutrophil infiltration only in the liver. We propose that treatment with estrogens or antiandrogens might be applicable in clinical situations to ameliorate systemic inflammation induced by burn.