Complications following cardiac surgery in neonates can occur due to activation of the inflammatory system. This study used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin exposure to cause cytokine activation in neonatal mice and examine left ventricular (LV) function as well as the effects of antioxidant treatment on cytokine levels. Neonatal mice (6 day old) were injected with either 25 mg/kg LPS (n=13) or phosphate buffered saline (PBS, n=14) and LV function (echocardiography) was measured at 4 hours. Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, and IL-10 were measured at 30 min, 1, 2, and 4 hours after injection (n=5 mice per group). Effects of pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 50 mg/kg) on cytokine levels were examined at 2 and 4 hours following PBS or LPS (n=5 mice per group). Four hours after LPS heart rate was increased (434±14 vs. 405±14 bpm, p<0.05). LV end-diastolic dimension and ejection time were reduced with LPS (both p<0.05). LPS exposure increased plasma TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 levels. NAC pretreatment attenuated the increases in TNF-α and IL-6 levels, but augmented IL-10 levels at 2 hours post-LPS. LPS exposure altered cardiac performance and activated cytokines in neonatal mice, which may be ameliorated using antioxidants.
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