A neonatal rat sepsis score captures the time course and severity of disease in a clinically relevant rat peritonitis model
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Background
Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of infant morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly in preterm and very low birthweight babies. Fundamental differences between neonates and adults warrant clinically relevant models of neonatal sepsis. Here, we describe a preclinical fecal-slurry (FS)-induced peritonitis model of polymicrobial sepsis in neonatal rats, along with a novel neonatal rat sepsis score (nRSS) to monitor illness severity.
Methods
Peritonitis was induced in 3-day-old Sprague Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of various doses (0.3-1.5mg/g body weight) of fecal slurry (FS); control pups received equivalent doses of vehicle. All pups received analgesics (buprenorphine), antibiotics (ampicillin and gentamicin), and fluids (saline) to model clinical standards of sepsis treatment. Time-dependent changes in circulating cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β) and biomarkers of sepsis pathology (hemoglobin, glucose, alanine transaminase [ALT] levels) were assessed and correlated with nRSS scores.
Results
FS administration caused a dose-dependent increase in severity of sepsis over time, as indicated by increases in mortality rates (based on predefined criteria for euthanasia), nRSS scores, as well as time-dependent changes in circulating glucose, hemoglobin, IL-6, IL-1β, and ALT activity levels. nRSS scores correlated with all quantitative measures of sepsis pathology. Notably, females showed higher mortality and higher early NRSS scores than males at moderate to high FS doses, yet biochemical markers and time of death did not differ between sexes, suggesting that the apparent female vulnerability may reflect more conspicuous behavioral manifestations of illness rather than greater underlying physiological severity.
Conclusion
Induction of peritonitis in rats at postnatal day 3 produced a consistent and reproducible model of polymicrobial neonatal sepsis. Illness severity was monitored using a newly developed nRSS. By minimizing distress and incorporating standards of care, this model and scoring system may serve as a platform for future investigations into the underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic interventions for neonatal sepsis.
Impact
A clinically relevant rat model of neonatal polymicrobial sepsis was developed, incorporating standards of care (analgesics, antibiotics, and fluid resuscitation) to better reflect the clinical context in which preclinical findings must ultimately translate.
A novel neonatal rat sepsis scoring system (nRSS) was developed and validated, providing a sensitive, non-invasive measure of disease severity that correlates with biochemical markers and predicts mortality.
Female pups showed higher mortality and earlier behavioral signs of illness than males despite equivalent biochemistry, highlighting that clinical scores may capture sex-dependent vulnerability not apparent in standard biochemical measures.
Together, this model and scoring system offer a refined platform for mechanistic and therapeutic studies of neonatal sepsis while advancing the welfare-conscious 3Rs principles essential to rigorous preclinical research
