Catecholamines play a role in the production of interleukin-6 and interleukin-1alpha in unburned skin after burn injury in mice.

Abstract

To investigate the effects of catecholamines on the production of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1alpha in unburned skin after a burn injury. Randomized, controlled study. Animal laboratory. Anesthetized female C57BL/6 mice. A full-thickness burn injury on 20% of total body surface area was produced on the clipped dorsum, which was followed by resuscitation with lactated Ringer's solution (0.1 mL/g). Phentolamine mesylate (10 mg/kg) or propranolol hydrochloride (10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally before the burn injury. Epinephrine and norepinephrine increased the production of IL-6 but not of IL-1alpha in normal abdominal skin, and these increases were reversed by a beta-blocker (propranolol hydrochloride) but not an alpha-blocker (phentolamine mesylate). A 20% full-thickness burn injury of the skin increased the plasma concentration of epinephrine 30 mins after the injury in female C57BL/6 mice, but not norepinephrine or dopamine. The burn also increased IL-6 production in unburned abdominal skin. The administration of a beta-blocker before a 20% burn injury suppressed the increased IL-6 production in unburned abdominal skin as determined by both protein level and mRNA expression. Pretreatment with the alpha-blocker was less effective. We propose that the neuroendocrine system activated by a 20% burn injury participates in the increased IL-6 production in the unburned skin.