| Abstract: | It has been demonstrated that biopterin, an essential cofactor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), plays an important role in the pathogenesis of endotoxin-induced shock, yet its biological significance in gram-positive sepsis remains unclear. In this study, we adopted a rat model of postburn Staphylococcus aureus sepsis to investigate the potential role of biopterin in the pathogenesis of gram-positive sepsis. Wistar rats were inflicted with a 20% total body surface area (TBSA) full-thickness scald injury followed by S. aureus challenge, and then guanosine triphosphate-cyclohydrolase I (GTP-CHI) mRNA expression and biopterin levels in liver, kidneys, lungs, and heart were determined. We found that after S. aureus challenge, GTP-CHI gene expressions and biopterin levels were markedly upregulated in various tissues. Meanwhile, multiple organ dysfunction was induced by S. aureus challenge. It was shown that cardiac GTP-CHI mRNA expression and renal BH(4) levels were positively correlated with MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB) and creatinine (r = 0.892, P = 0.0012 and r = 0.9423, P = 0.0015, respectively). These results suggested that thermal injury combined with S. aureus challenge could induce de novo biosynthesis of biopterin, which might play a role in the development of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome secondary to postburn sepsis. |
