Beneficial effects of stress-dose corticosteroid therapy in canines depend on the severity of staphylococcal pneumonia.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The effects of stress-dose corticosteroid therapy were studied in a canine staphylococcal pneumonia model of septic shock.

Methods

Immediately following intrabronchial bacterial challenge, purpose-bred beagles were treated with stress doses of desoxycorticosterone (DOC), a mineralocorticoid agonist, and dexamethasone (DEX), a glucocorticoid agonist, or with placebo for 96 h. Oxacillin (30 mg/kg every 8 h) was started 4 h after infection onset. Bacterial dose was titrated to achieve 80-90 % lethality (n = 20) using an adaptive design; additional animals (n = 18) were investigated using the highest bacterial dose.

Results

Initial analysis of all animals (n = 38) demonstrated that the effects of DOC + DEX were significantly altered by bacterial dose (p = 0.04). T

SUBMITTER: Hicks CW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4184268 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature