Background: The treatment of haemorrhagic shock is a challenging task. Colloids have been regarded as standard treatment, but their safety and benefit have been the subject of controversial debates. Negative effects, including renal failure and increased mortality, have resulted in restrictions on their administration. The cerebral effects of different infusion regimens are largely unknown.
Objectives: The current study investigated the impact of gelatine-polysuccinate, hydroxyethyl starch (HES) and balanced electrolyte solution (BES) on cerebral integrity, focusing on cerebral inflammation, apoptosis and blood flow in pigs.
Design: Randomised experimental study.
Setting: University-affiliated large animal research unit.
Animals: Twenty-four juvenile pigs aged 8 to 12 weeks.
Intervention: Haemorrhagic shock was induced by controlled arterial blood withdrawal to achieve a combination of relevant blood loss (30 to 40 ml kg-1) and haemodynamic deterioration. After 30 min of shock, fluid resuscitation was started with either gelatine-polysuccinate, HES or BES. The animals were then monitored for 4 h.
Main outcome measures: Cerebral perfusion and diffusion were measured via arterial-spin-labelling MRI. Peripheral tissue perfusion was evaluated via white light spectroscopy. Cortical and hippocampal samples were collected at the end of the experiment. The numbers of cerebral cell nuclei were counted and mRNA expression of markers for cerebral apoptosis [glucose transporter protein type 1 (SLC2A), lipocalin 2 (LCN-2), aquaporin-4 (AQP4)] and inflammation [IL-6, TNF-α, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)] were determined.
Results: The three fluid protocols all stabilised the macrocirculation. Fluid resuscitation significantly increased the cerebral perfusion. Gelatine-polysuccinate and HES initially led to a higher cardiac output but caused haemodilution. Cerebral cell counts (as cells μm-2) were lower after colloid administration in the cortex (gelatine-polysuccinate, 1.8 ± 0.3; HES, 1.9 ± 0.4; each P < 0.05 vs. BES, 2.3 ± 0.2) and the hippocampus (gelatine-polysuccinate, 0.8 ± 0.2; HES, 0.9 ± 0.2; each P < 0.05 vs. BES, 1.1 ± 0.1). After gelatine-polysuccinate, the hippocampal SLC2A and GFAP were lower. After gelatine-polysuccinate, the cortical LCN-2 and TNF-α expression levels were increased (each P < 0.05 vs. BES).
Conclusion: In a porcine model, fluid resuscitation by colloids, particularly gelatine-polysuccinate, was associated with the occurrence of cerebral injury.
Ethical approval number: 23 177-07/G 15-1-092; 01/2016.
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