Effect of protaglandin E in multiple experimental models. VI. Effects on T-cell subsets

Burn injuries have been showing to impair immune function. One of the hypotheses for the etiology of the immunosuppression is that burn injuries result in an elevation of prostaglandin E (PGE) levels which then impair leukocyte fuction. We evaluated the effect of PGE levels on immune function in multiple animal models utilizing T cell subset levels for our immunologic measurements. Elevations in PGE levels were achieved by adminsgtering 16,16-dimethyl-prostoglandin E (dPGE) and reductions by administering indomethacin. The animal models included burned rats, burned-septic rats, and nonburned rats. Neither indomethacin nor dPGE administration resulted in alterations of any of the T cell subset populations in our models.