Ghrelin attenuates the inflammatory response induced by experimental endotoxemia in mice

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this research is to assess the anti-inflammatory effect of ghrelin in mice models of polymicrobial sepsis. Materials and Methods: 35 male albino Swiss mice, ages 8-12 weeks, weighing 23-33g, were randomly separated into five groups n = 7; normal group was fed their usual diets until time of sampling, the sham group subjected to Anaesthesia and laparotomy, sepsis group subjected to cecal ligation and puncture, vehicle group was given an equivalent volume of intraperitoneal saline injections immediately after cecal ligation and puncture, and the ghrelin group was treated with 80 μg/kg of ghrelin intraperitoneal injections immediately following cecal ligation and puncture. Twenty hours after cecal ligation and puncture, mice were sacrificed; myocardial tissue and serum samples were collected. Serum IL-1β, NF-κB, and TLR4 levels were measured, and inflammatory response’s effects on cardiac tissue were evaluated. Results: The mean serum IL-1β, NF-κB, and TLR4 levels were markedly elevated in the sepsis and vehicle groups than in the normal and sham groups. The mean serum levels of IL-1β, NF-κB, and TLR4 were considerably lower in the ghrelin-treated group than in the vehicle and sepsis groups. Myocardium tissue of the normal and sham groups showed normal architecture. The sepsis and vehicle groups had a severe myocardial injury. The histological characteristics of ghrelin-treated mice differed slightly from those of the normal and sham groups. Conclusions: Our study concluded that ghrelin exerts anti-inflammatory effects in polymicrobial sepsis, as indicated by a considerable decrease in the IL-1β, NF-κB and TLR4 serum levels.