Simulation of experimental sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)

Currently, the problem of treating sepsis is acute. To study these morphological and functional changes, animal models are used, for example, a model of experimental peritonitis, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). However, there is only insufficient research on the description of internal organ rearrangements, in particular, skin morphological picture. The aim of the study was to assess of changes in mice internal organs in case of sepsis modeling. Materials and Methods. The authors performed cecal ligation and puncture in mice (n=40) to form experimental peritonitis and severe sepsis. In the control group (n=10), a sham surgery was conducted: a midline laparotomy was followed by layer-by-layer deaf suturing of the surgical wound. Results. The authors observed CLP-induced disorders in all vital organs, especially in the liver (violation of the beam structure of the hepatic lobules with signs of balloon dystrophy and necrosis areas, leukocyte infiltration, plethora of sinusoids), kidneys (thinning of the visceral layer of the Bowman's capsule, narrowing of the afferent arteriole lumen, balloon dystrophy of proximal and distal tubules, widespread disappearance of the brush border in nephrocytes) and the spleen (hyperplasia of the white pulp with a large number of apoptotic lymphocytes). Moreover, signs of mild inflammatory infiltration were observed in the skin. Conclusion. The morphological changes found during the study corresponded to the reaction of the test organs in sepsis. The proposed CLP method for experimental peritonitis can be used as a sepsis model.