PRODUCTION OF PROSTAGLANDINS IN RESPONSE TO EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED OSTEOMYELITIS IN RABBITS

Osteomyelitis was induced in the tibiae of rabbits by injection of staphylococcus aureus and sodium tetradecylsulphate (STD); additional rabbits were injected with STD alone. Confirmation of osteomyelitis was based on positive culture of the same phage type bacteria from the tibiae and on the characteristic radiographical and histological appearance of osteomyelitis. Only tibiae which proved to be infected by the above criteria showed significantly increased in vitro release and content of Prostaglandin E and Prostaglandin F2∝ compared with tibiae injected with STD (P < 0.05). After two weeks infection, infected tibiae released nine times more Prostaglandin E and five times more Prostaglandin F2∝ than tibiae injected with STD alone.After four weeks infection,infecied tibiae released less Prostaglandin E (P< 0.05)than after two weeks infection but the release of Prostaglandin F2σ was similar. The production of large amounts of prostaglandins by bones in response to infection may be the cause of the rapid bone resorption and sequester formation observed in osteomyelitis. © 1979.