Triiodothyronine (T₃) ameliorates the cytokine storm in rats with sepsis

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We reported that T₃ eliminated acidosis and improved survival rate in a rat model of sepsis. The aim of this study is to clarify the effect of T₃ on cytokine levels.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 350–420 g, were ligated in the cecum with puncture (CLP method) under anesthesia with pentobarbital (40 mg/kg). After CLP, 50 ml/kg of saline was injected subcutaneously for fluid resuscitation. Rats were assigned two groups; no treatment group (control group, n=15) and a T₃ treated group (n=10). The T₃ treated group was given 3 ng/hr of T₃ using a osmotic pump embedded subcutaneously. Survival rate, levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 were studied 24 h after surgery.

Three animals died in the control group, whereas no animals died in T₃ treated group. There was no significant difference on mean value of IL1-β and TNF-α between two groups. Mean levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in the control group were 237.4 pg/ml and 5342.7 pg/ml, respectively,however, those in the T₃ group were suppressed to the level of 183.5 pg/ml and 55.2 pg/ml, respectively (P<0.05). Mean IL-10 level (6.0 pg/ml) in the T₃ treated group was lower than that (72.4 pg/ml) in the control group (P<0.05).

It is concluded that T₃ prevents the cytokine storm and improves the survival rate in this rat model of sepsis.