Effect of dexamethasone on various stages of experimental brain abscess

Summary Rats were inoculated with staphylococcus aureus to produce cerebral abscesses and treated with either antibiotic or dexamethasone and with antibiotic plus dexamethasone at sequential stages of abscess formation.Antibiotic alone shortened the cerebritis stage, accelerated the encapsulation and affected the bacterial clearance in the abscess centre when it was started early in the course of cerebritis. Dexamethasone impaired the lymphocytic and fibroblastic responses and delayed the collagen deposition as well as suppressed the efficacy of antibiotic. However, it did not halt entirely the encapsulation and did reduce the associated cerebral oedema.     

Measurement of changes in brain water in man by magnetic resonance imaging

John Hunter was undoubtedly aware of the water content of normal brain tissue, and described cerebral oedema. The advent of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) shed new light on brain water, and the derivation of spatial information and hence images from NMR signals, has permitted studies of regional brain water in man in vivo. The initial study described here tested whether NMR longitudinal relaxation time (T1) correlates with brain water content in the cerebral cortex and white matter in man, and significant relationships have been demonstrated in cortex (r = 0.65, P less than 0.002) and white matter (r = 0.94, P less than 0.0001), the latter having narrow 95% confidence limits. The residual variance allows the prediction of water content from the T1 of white matter, measured from the image of a single patient, with an accuracy of +/- 4% of total tissue water with 95% confidence. In the further study described, the effects of dexamethasone and an infusion of 20% mannitol on brain water content has been assessed in patients with intrinsic cerebral tumours. Dexamethasone had no significant effect on the T1 of normal brain, oedematous peritumoural white matter, or tumour tissue. It must be concluded that the water content of these tissues is not changed by dexamethasone and that the clinical improvement seen in patients with cerebral tumours immediately after dexamethasone has to be explained by some mechanism other than a reduction in cerebral oedema. Mannitol did reduce the T1 of oedematous peritumoural white matter, and the T1 of tumour tissue, but did not change the T1 of normal brain significantly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Klinische Erfahrungen mit Dexamethason zur Hirnödemprophylaxe

Zusammenfassung Es wird über klinische Erfahrungen mit Dexamethason bei der Hirnödembehandlung berichtet. Die Ergebnisse von 100 mit Dexamethason behandelten Patienten wurden denen von 100 unbehandelten gegenübergestellt. Die Hirnödeme gingen unter Dexamethason von 26 auf 16, die Hirnödemmortalität von 11 auf 5 zurück. Der Natrium-Kalium-Quotient war in der Gruppe mit Dexamethason in der ersten postoperativen Woche an jedem Tag höher als in der Gruppe ohne Dexamethason. Mögliche Nebenwirkungen bei Dexamethason-Therapie sind selten.

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Clinical experiences with Dexamethasone in the prophylaxis of cerebral oedema

Summary Our clinical experiences with Dexamethasone in the treatment of cerebral oedema are described. The results with 100 patients treated with Dexamethasone were contrasted with those of 100 patients who did not receive this treatment. By the use of Dexamethasone, the incidence of cerebral oedema was reduced from 26 to 16, and the mortality from cerebral oedema fell from 11 to 5. The sodium/potassium ratio was higher on every day in the first postoperative week in the group treated with Dexamethasone as compared with the untreated group. The possible renal effects of Dexamethasone therapy are rare.

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Im Auszug vorgetragen als Diskussionsbemerkung auf dem Symposion über Steroide und Hirnödem in Mainz (19.–21. Juni 1972).     

Changes of Cerebral Blood Flow Following Dexamethasone Treatment in Brain Tumour Patients. A Xe/CT Study

Summary  Background. It is not exactly known how dexamethasone improves the function of brain that is affected by tumour. Whether and in what sense dexamethasone influences cerebral blood flow has rarely been addressed and previous investigations have yielded inconsistent results.  Method. Stable xenon-enhanced computed tomography (Xe/CT) was used to assess the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in 67 patients with supratentorial primary and secondary brain tumours. rCBF studies were done at least once prior to resection or stereotactic biopsy of the tumours. In nine patients repeated studies before surgery and in 15 patients additional studies after resective surgery were obtained. Dexamethasone was administered according to the clinical needs before surgery and systematically after surgery. Of the preoperative studies 30 were obtained before and 47 during dexamethasone treatment. The rCBF data were analysed upon correlations with daily dose, cumulative dose, and duration of dexamethasone treatment. Moreover, individual courses before and after surgery were examined.  Findings. Mainly inverse correlations were found between the treatment parameters, particularly the daily dose of dexamethasone, and rCBF. Only in the subgroup of glioblastoma patients, a positive correlation was found of both duration and cumulative dose of dexamethasone with rCBF in oedema. Serial observations of individual patients confirmed the above findings, yet with possible exceptions. After tumour resection a clear improvement of rCBF was regularly observed.  Interpretation. The beneficial effect of dexamethasone is not attributed to an increase of cerebral blood flow, because rather decreases of rCBF are mostly observed.     

Small-dose dexamethasone reduces nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a comparison of tropisetron with saline

Dexamethasone is an effective antiemetic drug, but the efficacy of small-dose dexamethasone 5 mg on the prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy has not been evaluated. We, therefore, evaluated the prophylactic effect of small-dose dexamethasone (5 mg) on PONV in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Tropisetron and saline served as controls. One-hundred-twenty patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were enrolled in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. At the induction of anesthesia, the Dexamethasone group received IV dexamethasone 5 mg, the Tropisetron group received IV tropisetron 2 mg, and the Placebo group received IV saline. We found that both dexamethasone and tropisetron significantly decreased the following variables: the total incidence of PONV (P < 0.01), more than four vomiting episodes (P < 0.05), and the proportions of patients requiring rescue antiemetics (P < 0.05). The differences between the Dexamethasone and Tropisetron groups were not significant. We conclude that prophylactic IV dexamethasone 5 mg significantly reduces the incidence of PONV in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. At this dose, dexamethasone is as effective as tropisetron 2 mg and is more effective than placebo. IMPLICATIONS: We evaluated the prophylactic effect of small-dose dexamethasone (5 mg) on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Tropisetron (2 mg) and saline served as controls. We found that dexamethasone 5 mg (IV) significantly reduced the incidence of PONV in these patients, and, at this dose, dexamethasone was as effective as tropisetron and was more effective than placebo.     

The effects of dexamethasone on C6 astrocytoma radiosensitivity

Brain-tumor patients often undergo radiation therapy while receiving corticosteroids for the treatment of cerebral edema. Studies have demonstrated that dexamethasone is radioprotective in a number of cell lines. The C6 astrocytoma cell line is well established in vitro and is modulated by dexamethasone treatment. It has therefore been hypothesized that dexamethasone-treated C6 astrocytoma cells would be more resistant to radiation-induced damage. The present study was carried out to assess this hypothesis using both the in vitro C6 astrocytoma monolayer and three-dimensional multicellular spheroid models. Dexamethasone was inhibitory to the C6 astrocytoma cells in the monolayer preparation, increasing their doubling time by 13%. In the spheroid cultures, dexamethasone treatment decreased the number of cells per spheroid by 46%. Dexamethasone did not affect the plating efficiency of either the cells from the monolayer experiment or those dissociated from spheroids, however, suggesting that the inhibitory effect was not tumoricidal. At a clinical concentration (1.94 x 10(-5) M), dexamethasone did not significantly influence plating efficiency of irradiated C6 astrocytoma cells in monolayer or three-dimensional spheroid cultures.     

Temporary blindness and eclampsia. A report of 2 cases

Temporary blindness in 2 patients with eclampsia was associated with oedema of the occipital lobe of the brain. In addition 1 patient had retinal detachment. Management included the use of mannitol, dexamethasone and furosemide to reduce cerebral oedema. Both patients recovered their vision within 48 hours of this management.     

Effect of dexamethasone on cerebral edema from cranial impact in the cat

A Remington humane stunner was used to deliver blows to the skulls of anesthetized cats. Alternate animals were post-treated with either dexamethasone (4 mg/kg/day) or a comparable volume of saline. Each animal was tested for cerebral edema 48 hours after impact by measurement of the change in density of white matter from normal values. Dexamethasone therapy did not reduce the change in density of hemispheres with contusions involving both cortex and underlying white matter. For hemispheres with contusions limited to cerebral cortex, there was minimal edema of the white matter, which was reduced a slight amount by dexamethasone.     

The prophylactic effect of tropisetron on epidural morphine-related nausea and vomiting: a comparison of dexamethasone with saline

Tropisetron is a 5-hydroxytryptamine subtype 3 receptor antagonist that is primarily used in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. We evaluated the prophylactic effect of tropisetron on postoperative nausea and vomiting associated with epidural morphine. Dexamethasone and saline served as controls. One-hundred twenty women (n = 40 in each of three groups) undergoing abdominal total hysterectomy under epidural anesthesia were enrolled in this randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled study. At the end of surgery, Group 1 received IV tropisetron 5 mg, whereas Groups 2 and 3 received dexamethasone 5 mg and saline, respectively. We found that tropisetron did not significantly reduce the occurrence of nausea and vomiting associated with epidural morphine. Dexamethasone, however, reduced the total incidence of nausea and vomiting from 59% to 21% (P < 0.01) and the percentage of patients requiring rescue antiemetic from 38% to 13% (P < 0.05). We conclude that IV tropisetron 5 mg did not prevent the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting associated with epidural morphine. IV dexamethasone 5 mg was effective for this purpose. IMPLICATIONS: We compared the prophylactic IV administration of tropisetron 5 mg to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) associated with epidural morphine with dexamethasone 5 mg and saline in women undergoing hysterectomy. We found that tropisetron 5 mg did not significantly reduce the occurrence of PONV associated with epidural morphine. Dexamethasone 5 mg was effective for this purpose.     

Impact of Dexamethasone on Length of Stay and Early Pain Control in Direct Anterior Approach Total Hip Arthroplasty With Neuraxial Anesthesia

BackgroundDexamethasone has been shown to reduce postoperative pain and opioid consumption for total joint arthroplasty patients; however, its impact on patients who received neuraxial anesthesia (NA) is not well described. We examined the impact of perioperative dexamethasone on outcomes for patients undergoing direct anterior approach total hip arthroplasty (THA) under NA.MethodsA retrospective review was conducted for 376 THA patients from a single institution. Univariate analysis was used to compare postoperative outcomes for 164 THA patients receiving dexamethasone compared to 212 who did not receive dexamethasone.ResultsNo differences in age, gender, body mass index, or American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Score were observed between the groups. Patients receiving perioperative dexamethasone reported statistically significantly lower postanesthesia care unit (PACU) pain numeric rating scale (Dexamethasone 1.6 vs No dexamethasone 2.3, P = .014) and received lower PACU morphine milligram equivalents (MME) (Dexamethasone 8.57 vs No dexamethasone 11.44, P < .001). Patients receiving dexamethasone had significantly shorter LOS (Dexamethasone 29.40 vs No dexamethasone 35.26 hrs., P < .001).ConclusionPerioperative dexamethasone is associated with decreased postoperative pain and narcotic consumption, and shorter length of stay for patients undergoing primary direct anterior approach THA with NA.     

The use of dexamethasone for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting in females undergoing thyroidectomy: a dose-ranging study

We sought to determine the minimum effective dose of dexamethasone in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting in women undergoing thyroidectomy. Two hundred twenty-five women (n = 45 in each of five groups) undergoing thyroidectomy under general anesthesia were enrolled in this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Immediately after the induction of anesthesia, patients received IV dexamethasone at doses of 10 mg (D10), 5 mg (D5), 2.5 mg (D2.5), 1.25 mg (D1.25), or saline (S). We found that Groups D10 and D5 were significantly different from Group S in the total incidences of nausea and vomiting, more than four vomiting episodes, the proportions of patients requiring rescue antiemetics, and the incidences of complete responses. The differences between Groups D10 and D5 were not significant. Dexamethasone 2.5 mg reduced the total incidence of nausea and vomiting. Dexamethasone 1.25 mg was not effective. Dexamethasone 5 mg IV is the minimum effective dose in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting in women undergoing thyroidectomy.     

Dexamethasone Changes Brain Monoamine Metabolism and Aggravates Ischemic Neuronal Damage in Rats

Background: Glucocorticoids have been reported to aggravate ischemic brain damage. Because changes in the activities of various neuronal systems are closely related to the outcome of ischemic damage, the authors evaluated the effects of dexamethasone on the monoaminergic systems and ischemic neuronal damage.

Methods: The right middle cerebral artery was occluded for 2 h, and the tissue concentrations of monoamines and their metabolites were determined in the cerebral cortex and the striatum of rats. The turnover of 5-hydroxytryptamine was compared in animals injected with saline and those injected with dexamethasone twice (2 mg/kg in each injection) by evaluating the probenecid-induced accumulation of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. The turnovers of norepinephrine and dopamine were estimated from the [small alpha, Greek]-methyl-p-tyrosine-induced depletion of norepinephrine and dopamine, respectively. The effect of dexamethasone on the infarct volume was evaluated by triphenyltetrazolium chloride stain in rats subjected to 2 h of occlusion.

Results: Dexamethasone did not affect the cortical 5-hydroxy-tryptamine or 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid contents. However, it suppressed the turnover of the cortical 5-hydroxytryptamine on both sides. Dexamethasone reduced the turnover of the striatal 5-hydroxytryptamine and facilitated the dopamine turnover. In rats subjected to 2 h of occlusion and 2 h of reperfusion, the infarct volume was 10.5 times greater in the group that received dexamethasone than in the animals that received saline.     

Methylprednisolone vs. dexamethasone in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting: a prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Dexamethasone and methylprednisolone have been proven effective in the prevention of nausea after chemotherapy. Dexamethasone has been proven effective in the prophylaxis of late PONV. Literature about methylprednisolone in PONV prophylaxis is rare. We randomized 118 patients in a double blind way to receive either dexamethasone 8 mg, methylprednisolone 40 mg or placebo as prophylactic agent. Duration of anaesthesia was significantly longer and significantly more sufentanil was used in the methylprednisolone group. Despite these 2 risk factors, methylprednisolone was significantly better than placebo in the prevention of late nausea, retching and PONV. There was a beneficial clinical effect of dexamethasone in this population, although not significant. A possible explanation lies in the fact that monotherapy is mostly insufficient in a population at risk like ours. This study confirms that steroids are mostly effective in the prevention of late PONV, less effective in early PONV.     

Dexamethasone inhibits inflammation and cartilage damage in a new model of post‐traumatic osteoarthritis

Corticosteroids are used in musculoskeletal diseases, and offer patient relief. Injections of corticosteroids are recommended for management of osteoarthritis (OA). Current data have shown the role of corticosteroids in ameliorating pain. We hypothesized that repeated intra‐articular injections of high dose dexamethasone would protect the cartilage from damage in a post‐traumatic model of OA. Eighteen female New Zealand White rabbits were used. Twelve underwent surgery to induce OA; six of them received intra‐articular injections of dexamethasone every 3 days for 3 weeks. The other six rabbits served as operated controls. Six additional rabbits served as non‐operated controls. All animals were euthanized 3 weeks post‐surgery. Knees were assessed grossly. Cartilage, synovium, and fat pad were assessed histologically. Synovium and fat pad were analyzed with qPCR and Western blots. Surgical controls had cartilage damage which was supressed with dexamethasone. Dexamethasone significantly decreased synovial expression of interleukin‐1β and collagen I, and a trend to decrease synovial matrix metalloproteinase3 expression. There were also significantly lower levels of interleukin‐1β protein with dexamethasone treatment. Dexamethasone significantly decreased fat pad expression of matrix metalloproteinase13, basic fibroblast growth factor, and interleukin8, and a trend to decrease matrix metalloproteinase3 and transforming growth factorβ expression. Dexamethasone decreased joint inflammation and joint tissue degradation and was chondroprotective in this unique model of PTOA. © 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 32:566–572, 2014.     

The effects of single-dose dexamethasone on wound healing in rats

Dexamethasone effectively decreases the incidence of nausea and vomiting among pediatric and adult patients. In this study, we evaluated the effects of single-dose dexamethasone on wound healing in a prospective, randomized, experimental animal model. Anesthesia was induced with thiopental 100 mg/kg intraperitoneally. Dexamethasone 1 mg/kg was administered intraperitoneally in a dexamethasone group, and physiological saline was administered in a control group. Collagenization, epithelization, and fibroblast content were significantly less in the dexamethasone group compared with the control group (P values of 0.002, 0.041, and 0.023, respectively). The vascularity and the degree of inflammatory cells were more intense in the dexamethasone group compared with the control group (P values of 0.023 and 0.002, respectively). The white blood cell count was similar in the control (7.84 +/- 2.09) and dexamethasone (6.98 +/- 2.12) groups. The mean hydroxyproline level was 0.72 +/- 0.13 mg/g in the dexamethasone and 1.03 +/- 0.19 mg/g in the control group. Hydroxyproline levels were significantly less in the dexamethasone group (P = 0.001). We conclude that dexamethasone at 1 mg/kg may have negative effects on wound healing. IMPLICATIONS: We evaluated the effects of dexamethasone on wound healing in a prospective, randomized, experimental animal model. Our results show that dexamethasone at 1 mg/kg may have negative effects on wound healing.     

Resorption of peritumoural oedema in cerebral gliomas during dexamethasone treatment evaluated by NMR relaxation time imaging

Summary Peritumoural brain oedema is a prominent feature of malignant brain tumours. Glucocorticoids diminish the neurological symptoms and signs caused by the oedema and reduce the abnormally high cerebral water content. The exact mechanisms of action of the glucocorticoids are unknown.The present study investigates the influence of dexamethasone on NMR relaxation time T₁ in peritumoural oedema in 13 patients with gliomas. It is shown that NMR T₁ images can be used as a potent monitor of brain oedema, and that dexamethasone significantly reduces mean T₁ after 1, 3, and 7 days of treatment by 2%, 6%, and 13% respectively.Using an image histogram analysis technique the term superoedema was defined as the 50% of the total oedema area with the highest t₁, corresponding to the highest water content. It is shown, that with this technique the treatment effect of steroids on superoedema was a reduction of 13%, 33%, and 57% after 1, 3, and 7 days of treatment respectively. The mean change after 24 hours of treatment was statistically significant (p < 0.01).The method can be used in all situations where the anti-oedematous effect of a given treatment is to be monitored.     

Effect of dexamethasone on motor brachial plexus block with bupivacaine and with bupivacaine-loaded microspheres in a sheep model

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that dexamethasone potentiates the sensory block produced by bupivacaine when both drugs are loaded in microspheres. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of dexamethasone on the brachial plexus block obtained with plain bupivacaine and bupivacaine-loaded microspheres. METHODS: Dexamethasone alone (Group 5) or added to plain bupivacaine (75 mg) with (Groups 3 and 4) and without pH correction (Group 2) was compared with plain bupivacaine (75 mg; Group 1). The effect of a small dose of dexamethasone (0.42 mg) was then evaluated on the brachial plexus block obtained with bupivacaine (750 mg) as bupivacaine-loaded microspheres (Group 6). Dexamethasone was added either in the suspending medium (Group 7) or incorporated with bupivacaine into microspheres (Group 8). The motor block was evaluated in a plexus brachial sheep model. RESULTS: Dexamethasone alone did not produce any motor block. When added to plain bupivacaine without pH correction, complete motor block could not be obtained. When the pH was corrected, addition of dexamethasone to plain bupivacaine seemed to delay the onset of motor block and did not prolong its duration, and it had no effect on the pharmacokinetics of bupivacaine. With bupivacaine-loaded microspheres, the duration of complete motor block was reduced when a small dose of dexamethasone was added in the suspending medium. However, the duration of motor block was significantly prolonged when dexamethasone was incorporated with bupivacaine into microspheres. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the delayed onset of motor block, the incorporation of dexamethasone in bupivacaine-loaded microspheres dramatically increases the duration of action (700 +/- 485-5160 +/- 2136 min), which could be clinically relevant when such a drug-delivery system will be available.     

Dexamethasone for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies

OBJECTIVE: Randomised controlled trials investigating the efficacy of dexamethasone alone or in combination with other antiemetics to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) were included in a meta-analysis to estimate the relative efficacy of these treatments. METHODS: Studies were systematically searched using Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane-Library, and by manual screening the reference lists and current issues of locally available anaesthesia journals. Studies identified were divided into four different groups. For each subgroup an independent analysis was performed: 1. Dexamethasone vs. placebo, 2. Dexamethasone + other antiemetic vs. other antiemetic alone, 3. Dexamethasone + other antiemetic vs. dexamethasone alone, 4. Dexamethasone vs. other antiemetics. The main end point in each study was defined as complete absence of nausea, retching, and vomiting after prophylactic antiemetic treatment. The pooled odds-ratios, the relative risk (RR) and the numbers-needed-to-treat (NNT) with their corresponding 95%-confidence intervals (given in parentheses) were calculated using a random effects model. RESULTS: A total of 26 studies with 2561 patients were analysed. 1. As a sole antiemetic agent dexamethasone is superior to placebo to prevent PONV (RR: 0.49 (0.15-0.42); NNT: 3.4 (2.5-5.3)). 2. When dexamethasone and an other antiemetic (e.g. a 5-HT3-antagonist) are combined this drug combination is significantly more effective than the single antiemetic without dexamethasone (RR: 0.60 (0.46-0.78); NNT: 7.3 (5.7-10.2)). 3. A similar result was obtained when the dexamethasone combination was compared with dexamethasone alone. The combination is statistically superior (RR: 0.16 (0.08-0.32); NNT: 3.2 (2.2-6.3)). 4. Dexamethasone was usually compared with 5-HT3-antagonist and to a less extends also with dopamine antagonists. Summarising these studies, there was no significant difference concerning effectiveness (RR: 1.35 (0.99-1.85); NNT: 10.6 (5.6-92.6)). CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone has antiemetics effects that are superior to placebo treatment and are comparable with conventional antiemetic agents (e.g. 5-HT3-antagonist, dopamine antagonists). The drug is especially useful in combination with other antiemetics and increases the efficacy of the antiemetic partner drug.     

补肾方剂拮抗地塞米松促骨髓基质细胞向成脂细胞分化的实验研究

目的观察补肾方剂对地塞米松促骨髓基质干细胞成脂作用的影响。方法从成年SD大鼠分离出骨髓基质干细胞体外培养,取第三代细胞用于实验。分别在培养液其中加入1×10^-7mol·L^-1的地塞米松（A组）、1×10^-7mol·L^-1的地塞米松和80mg·L^-1的补肾方剂（B组）,C组为对照组。分别应用MTT、碱性磷酸酶活性与三酰甘油含量法检测MSCs增殖与分别向成骨和成脂方向分化的能力。结果实验组（A组和B组）的MSCs增殖能力较对照组明显降低（P〈0.05）,但A组与B组之间差异无显著意义（P〉0.05）;B组MSCs硷性磷酸酶活性较A组增高（P〈0.05）,而三酰甘油含量低于A组（P〈0.05）。结论补肾方剂不能干预地塞米松对MSCs增殖的抑制作用,但具有抑制地塞米松促进MSCs向成脂方向分化的作用。     

地塞米松改变胆源性脓毒症时宿主糖代谢反应

将４０只日本大耳白兔随机分为胆源性脓毒症组（ｎ＝１５，以下简称非治疗组）、地塞米松治疗组（ｎ＝１５）和正常对照组（ｎ＝１０），并将前两组复制成胆源性脓毒症模型。治疗组于伤后３和２４小时按１０ｍｇ／ｋｇ剂量分两次腹腔注射地塞米松，动态检测和比较三组动物血糖水平的变化，用原代肝细胞培养法分析伤后４８小时感染肝叶和非感染肝叶肝细胞糖异生功能。结果显示；伤后２４小时起，非治疗组血糖水平持续显著降低，而治疗组至伤后４８小时才出现血糖降低；伤后４８小时，治疗组感染肝叶肝细胞糖异生的基础速率及激素刺激速率与非治疗组无显著性差异，但非感染肝叶肾上腺素和胰高糖素刺激的肝细胞糖异生速率分别较非治疗组提高了２５．０％和４６．０％，然而两者仍低于正常对照组水平。本实验结果表明，地塞米松对胆源性脓毒症时宿主糖代谢的稳态具有保护效应。