Figure 4: The effects of platelet transfusion on plasma TNF-α and IL-6 concentrations and mortality in septic animals.
(a–c) Mice were injected with LPS i.p. (10 mg kg−1) followed by retro-orbital injection of 1 × 109 platelets in 0.2 ml saline or saline only. Blood were collected before or at 1, 2.5, 4 and 8 h after LPS injection. Platelet counts were measured before or at 1 and 8 h after LPS injection and expressed as relative to the counts of saline-treated mice before injection of LPS (a). Plasma TNF-α (b) and IL-6 (c) concentrations were measured. Values are means±s.d. (n=5). Differences between two groups were assessed using unpaired two-tailed Student’s t-test. (d) Mice were injected with LPS (10 mg kg−1), immediately followed by retro-orbital injection of 1 × 109 platelets in 0.2 ml saline or saline only. Survival rate was observed for 3 days. P-value was calculated by Wald’s test in a discrete time hazard model using version 9.2 of SAS software. (e) C57BL/6 mice were injected i.p. with 0.2 ml saline containing 2.5 × 107 colony-forming unit of E. coli ATCC 25922, immediately followed by retro-orbital injection of 1 × 109 platelets in 0.2 ml saline or saline only. Survival rate was observed for up to 3 days. P-value was calculated by Wald’s test in a discrete time hazard model using version 9.2 of SAS software. (f) Mice were injected retro-orbitally with clodronate or control liposomes at 24 and 4 h before LPS injection (5 mg kg−1 of body weight), immediately followed by retro-orbital injection of 1 × 109 platelets in 0.2 ml saline or saline only. Survival rate was observed for up to 3 days. P<0.001 between liposome group and clodronate group; P>0.2 between clodronate group injected with saline and clodronate group injected with platelets. P-value was calculated by Wald’s test in a discrete time hazard model using version 9.2 of SAS software.
