The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 2007/08, 107(8):355-356. doi: 10.7556/jaoa.2007.107.8.327, type of study: ,ani,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Full text    (https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7556/jaoa.2007.107.8.327/html)

Keywords:

animal experiment [68]
LPT [27]
lymphatic pump technique [43]
pneumonia [43]

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to develop an animal model to examine the mechanisms by which lymphatic pump treatment (LPT) enhances immunity and clears pulmonary infection. Clinical studies have shown that patients given LPT have enhanced clearance of the tracheobronchial tissues, greater production of sputum, shorter duration of cough, and shorter duration of total and intravenous antibiotic treatment and hospitalization. These studies suggest that LPT may reduce pulmonary infection by enhancing immunity and/or facilitating antibiotic delivery to pathogens; however, the exact mechanisms responsible for the clinical benefits of LPT have not been identified. To determine if LPT enhances survival and reduces pulmonary bacteria during acute infection, rats were divided into sham treatment (manual control, MC) or LPT groups and infected nasally with 1x108 bacterial colony forming units (CFU). Approximately 2 hours following infection (day 0), and on days 1 and 2 and post-infection, rats received 8 minutes of either MC or LPT under anesthesia. Weights and survival were measured on days 0, 1, 2 and 3 post-infection. On day 3 post-infection, rats were euthanized and pulmonary bacteria were enumerated. LPT enhanced survival approximately 20% by day 3 post-infection compared to MC. The benefit of LPT on delaying weight loss during infection was only observed on day 2 post-infection. Furthermore, LPT reduced pulmonary bacteria approximately 30%, suggesting that innate immune mechanisms are enhanced by LPT and contribute to clearance of pulmonary infection. This study is the first to demonstrate that LPT can enhance survival and reduce pulmonary bacteria during acute pneumonia infection. Importantly, the use of animal models allows for collection of samples that cannot be obtained using human subjects. These data are essential to identifying the mechanisms by which LPT enhances immunity and clearance of pneumonia. Understanding of these mechanisms will provide scientific support for the clinical use of LPT.