[Animal modeling] - Establishment of long-term survival rat model of moderate and severe sepsis

  Objective: To establish a long-term survival rat model of moderate and severe sepsis, observe the natural course of sepsis, and provide new ideas and methods for the study of sepsis.

  Methods: Forty SD rats were divided into control group (sham group, 8 rats) and cecal ligation and puncture group (CLP group, 32 rats). All operations were completed under small animal anesthesia machine and sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia. All rats established an arteriovenous pathway in their right neck. 24 hours after recovery, the rats in CLP group developed sepsis through cecal ligation and perforation. After the operation, the rats were transferred to the recovery room (room temperature: 22~25 ℃) for single cage feeding. After the operation, 6% HEAS and 5% glucose injection were given at a ratio of 1:1, respectively. The amount of liquid supplement was 20 mL/kg/12 h on the first and second days, and then the liquid was halved until the rats began to eat. CLP group rats were naturally divided into survival group (survival group) and death group (dead group) according to the survival condition of rats. The rats were observed until 30 days after operation, and the symptoms, weight changes, changes of IL-10 plasma concentration, and changes of abdominal viscera were recorded.

  Results: (1) In CLP group, the survival rates within 24 hours, 72 hours and 7 days were 75%, 62.5% and 50% respectively. (2) According to the sepsis severity evaluation system, 32 rats in CLP group reached moderate to severe sepsis 24 hours after operation. (3) After operation, the weight of both survival group and sham group decreased. The weight of rats in the survival group decreased significantly from the 4th day (P=0.017). The body weight of the rats in the survival group decreased to the minimum on the 6th day after operation, (8.51 ± 2.23)% lower than the original body weight; The weight of sham group was the lowest on the fourth day after operation, which was (2.73 ± 1.82)% lower than the original weight. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P=0.026). At the 30th day after operation, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the maximum rate of weight increase (16.16 ± 2.39)% in sham group and (13.03 ± 3.74)% in survival group (P=0.29). (4) The plasma concentration of IL-10 in the three groups increased 1 day after operation compared with that before operation (0 day), and significantly increased in the survival group (P=0.000) and dead group (P=0.010). (5) Abdominal anatomy showed that in dead group, there was a large amount of malodorous bloody ascites, and the intestine was black and purple after ligation, without package or adhesion. In the survival group, the abdominal cavity was widely adhered, the greater omentum lost its original shape and luster, and tended to be ligated, but no abscess wrapped. No abnormal anatomy was found in sham group. The ratio of spleen to body weight was (2.64 ± 0.37) ‰ in the survival group and (1.63 ± 0.20) ‰ in the sham group, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.032).

  Conclusion: This experiment provides a reliable measure to control CLP and a method to screen models for the establishment of a long-term survival model of CLP with moderate to severe sepsis, making it basically conform to the occurrence and development of sepsis.