EFFECT OF RECOMBINANT HUMAN GRANULOCYTE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR ON HEMODYNAMIC AND CYTOKINE RESPONSE IN A PORCINE MODEL OF PSEUDOMONAS SEPSIS

To investigate the effect of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) on sepsis, chronically catheterized conscious pigs were challenged with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8 x 10(7) colony-forming units kg(-1) h(-1)) for 84 h (Group A, n = 8). Group B (n = 7) also received rhG-CSF at 5 mu g kg(-1) d(-1), the first dose being given 30 min before starting bacterial infusion. Two of the animals in Group A died from pulmonary failure, whereas all those treated with rh-GCSF survived. Fever, severe pulmonary hypertension and systemic hypotension-the latter accompanied at first by a transient hypodynamic, and later a hyperdynamic response-were observed in all of the animals. In Group B, however, the rise in temperature, mean pulmonary arterial pressure (at a later stage of the observation), plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor, and endotoxin were significantly less than in Group A. In the rhG-CSF-treated pigs, an initial leukopenia completely recovered within 24 h (p < .05 vs. Group A). These data suggest that rhG-CSF might be beneficial in the treatment of sepsis.