Effect of tocilizumab on acinetobacter baumannii lung infection in an immunosuppressed rat model

• Published in: Veteriner fakultesi dergisi Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 87 - 96
• Main Authors: Demet CELEBI, Zekai HALICI, Ozgur CELEBI, Nurullah AKGUN, Irfan CINAR, Iclal HALICI, Kagan Tolga CINISLI, Serkan YILDIRIM
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kafkas University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine 01-01-2022
• Subjects: acinetobacter baumannii; immunosuppressed rat; tocilizumab
• ISSN: 1309-2251
• DOI: 10.9775/kvfd.2021.26491

Our study aimed to investigate effect of tocilizumab on the lung tissue in the presence of Acinetobacter baumannii infection in immunosuppressed rats. A forty-eight female Wistar albino rats were divided equally into eight groups: Group 1: Healthy (H), Group 2: Immunosuppressed (IM), Group 3: Healthy rats given A. baumannii bacteria (H+BAC), Group 4: Immunosuppressed rats given A. baumannii bacteria (IM+BAC), Group 5: Healthy rats given tocilizumab (H+TCZ), Group 6: Immunosuppressed rats given tocilizumab (IM+TCZ), Group 7: Healthy rats given A. baumannii bacteria and tocilizumab (H+BAC+TCZ), Group 8: Immunosuppressed rats given tocilizumab and A. baumannii bacteria (IM+BAC+TCZ). Fourteen days after the immunosuppression of group 2, 4, 6 and 8 with hydrocortisone, group 3, 4, 7 and 8 were A. baumannii was dropped into the trachea. One hour after A. baumannii application, TCZ was administered to Groups 5, 6, 7 and 8. NF-κB, IL-6 and NLRP3 mRNA expressions were decreased in the IM group compared to the healthy group (P<0.05). Although NF-κB, IL-6 and NLRP3 mRNA expression decreased in the IM+TCZ group compared to the healthy group (P<0.05) NF-κB, IL-6 and NLRP3 mRNA expression increased in the H+TCZ group (P<0.05). Despite decreasing cytokines, A. baumannii has been shown to increase infection-related lung injury. This suggests that in patients currently or recently using steroids, tocilizumab may increase organ damage due to opportunistic infection.