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SUMMARY
Death attributed to septic shock following severe infection increases in diabetic
patients and occurs quite frequently in intensive care units. Diabetes mellitus and
septic shock increase the production of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory
cytokines leading to higher kinin B1 receptor (RB1) expression that is mediated by the
activation of the transcriptional nuclear factor Kappa B. Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced
diabetes increased the expression of RB1 in rat peripheral tissues, brain and spinal cord.
Bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) commonly used to induce septic shock in animal
models, also induce RB1. Our objective is to study the contribution of kinin RB1 in the
increased morbidity and mortality associated with the combination of these two diseases.
Sprague-Dawley rats (225-250g) treated with STZ (65 mg/kg, ip) or vehicle received four
days later LPS (2 mg/kg, iv) or vehicle in the presence or absence of the RB1 antagonist,
SSR240612 (10 mg/kg), administered by gavage. Body temperature was monitored for 24h
after treatment. In addition, SSR240612 was administered twice (9h AM and 9h PM) and
rats were sacrificed the following morning at 9h AM after 16 h of fasting to measure the
impact on plasma insulin and glucose, oedema and vascular permeability in various tissues
(with the technique of Evans Blue) and on the expression of RB1 (real-time PCR) in heart
and kidney. The increase in body temperature caused by treatment with LPS both in STZ-
diabetic and non-diabetic rats was blocked by SSR240612. The antagonist normalized
hyperglycaemia and improved insulin deficiency in STZ rats. SSR240612 inhibited oedema
and reduced vascular permeability in all tissues from diabetic rats treated or not with LPS.
The overexpression of RB1 induced by LPS and STZ was blocked by SSR240612.
Pharmacological blockade of B1R with SSR240612 prevented the mortality induced by
LPS and STZ plus LPS. Thus the anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects