Mediators in a murine model for the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome

Abstract

The multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is defined as the presence of altered organ function in a severely ill patient so that homeostasis cannot be maintained without intervention. It is now generally believed that MODS is the result of a generalized inflammatory response. In our laboratory, an animal model for MODS has been developed. It is called the zymosan-induced generalized inflammation (ZIGI) model and has been adopted by other research groups as well. In this thesis, several experiments are described that aim to indentify inflammatory mediators that play an important role in the underlying pathophysiology of MODS. The experiments focus on cytokines, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and matrix metalloproteinases.