Browsing by Author "Sharma, Neha"

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    Development and characterization of a fecal-induced peritonitis model of murine sepsis: results from a multi-laboratory study and iterative modification of experimental conditions
    (2023-07-17) Sharma, Neha; Chwastek, Damian; Dwivedi, Dhruva J.; Schlechte, Jared; Yu, Ian-Ling; McDonald, Braedon; Arora, Jaskirat; Cani, Erblin; Eng, Mikaela; Engelberts, Doreen; Kuhar, Eva; Medeiros, Sarah K.; Bourque, Stephane L.; Cepinskas, Gediminas; Gill, Sean E.; Jahandideh, Forough; Macala, Kimberly F.; Panahi, Sareh; Pape, Cynthia; Sontag, David; Sunohara-Neilson, Janet; Fergusson, Dean A.; Fox-Robichaud, Alison E.; Liaw, Patricia C.; Lalu, Manoj M.; Mendelson, Asher A.
    Abstract Background Preclinical sepsis models have been criticized for their inability to recapitulate human sepsis and suffer from methodological shortcomings that limit external validity and reproducibility. The National Preclinical Sepsis Platform (NPSP) is a consortium of basic science researchers, veterinarians, and stakeholders in Canada undertaking standardized multi-laboratory sepsis research to increase the efficacy and efficiency of bench-to-bedside translation. In this study, we aimed to develop and characterize a 72-h fecal-induced peritonitis (FIP) model of murine sepsis conducted in two independent laboratories. The experimental protocol was optimized by sequentially modifying dose of fecal slurry and timing of antibiotics in an iterative fashion, and then repeating the experimental series at site 1 and site 2. Results Escalating doses of fecal slurry (0.5–2.5 mg/g) resulted in increased disease severity, as assessed by the modified Murine Sepsis Score (MSS). However, the MSS was poorly associated with progression to death during the experiments, and mice were found dead without elevated MSS scores. Administration of early antibiotics within 4 h of inoculation rescued the animals from sepsis compared with late administration of antibiotics after 12 h, as evidenced by 100% survival and reduced bacterial load in peritoneum and blood in the early antibiotic group. Site 1 and site 2 had statistically significant differences in mortality (60% vs 88%; p < 0.05) for the same dose of fecal slurry (0.75 mg/g) and marked differences in body temperature between groups. Conclusions We demonstrate a systematic approach to optimizing a 72-h FIP model of murine sepsis for use in multi-laboratory studies. Alterations to experimental conditions, such as dose of fecal slurry and timing of antibiotics, have clear impact on outcomes. Differences in mortality between sites despite rigorous standardization warrants further investigations to better understand inter-laboratory variation and methodological design in preclinical studies.
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    Impact of age on the host response to sepsis in a murine model of fecal-induced peritonitis
    (2024-03-08) Sharma, Neha; Chen, Alex; Heinen, Leah; Liu, Ruth; Dwivedi, Dhruva J.; Zhou, Ji; Lalu, Manoj M.; Mendelson, Asher A.; McDonald, Braedon; Kretz, Colin A.; Fox-Robichaud, Alison E.; Liaw, Patricia C.
    Abstract Introduction Despite older adults being more vulnerable to sepsis, most preclinical research on sepsis has been conducted using young animals. This results in decreased scientific validity since age is an independent predictor of poor outcome. In this study, we explored the impact of aging on the host response to sepsis using the fecal-induced peritonitis (FIP) model developed by the National Preclinical Sepsis Platform (NPSP). Methods C57BL/6 mice (3 or 12 months old) were injected intraperitoneally with rat fecal slurry (0.75 mg/g) or a control vehicle. To investigate the early stage of sepsis, mice were culled at 4 h, 8 h, or 12 h to investigate disease severity, immunothrombosis biomarkers, and organ injury. Mice received buprenorphine at 4 h post-FIP. A separate cohort of FIP mice were studied for 72 h (with buprenorphine given at 4 h, 12 h, and then every 12 h post-FIP and antibiotics/fluids starting at 12 h post-FIP). Organs were harvested, plasma levels of Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, monocyte chemoattract protein (MCP-1)/CCL2, thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) complexes, cell-free DNA (CFDNA), and ADAMTS13 activity were quantified, and bacterial loads were measured. Results In the 12 h time course study, aged FIP mice demonstrated increased inflammation and injury to the lungs compared to young FIP mice. In the 72 h study, aged FIP mice exhibited a higher mortality rate (89%) compared to young FIP mice (42%) (p < 0.001). Aged FIP non-survivors also exhibited a trend towards elevated IL-6, TAT, CFDNA, CCL2, and decreased IL-10, and impaired bacterial clearance compared to young FIP non-survivors. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the impact of age on survival using the FIP model of sepsis. Our model includes clinically-relevant supportive therapies and inclusion of both sexes. The higher mortality rate in aged mice may reflect increased inflammation and worsened organ injury in the early stage of sepsis. We also observed trends in impaired bacterial clearance, increase in IL-6, TAT, CFDNA, CCL2, and decreased IL-10 and ADAMTS13 activity in aged septic non-survivors compared to young septic non-survivors. Our aging model may help to increase the scientific validity of preclinical research and may be useful for identifying mechanisms of age-related susceptibility to sepsis as well as age-specific treatment strategies.
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    National Preclinical Sepsis Platform: developing a framework for accelerating innovation in Canadian sepsis research
    (2021-03-19) Mendelson, Asher A; Lansdell, Casey; Fox-Robichaud, Alison E; Liaw, Patricia; Arora, Jaskirat; Cailhier, Jean-François; Cepinskas, Gediminas; Charbonney, Emmanuel; dos Santos, Claudia; Dwivedi, Dhruva; Ellis, Christopher G; Fergusson, Dean; Fiest, Kirsten; Gill, Sean E; Hendrick, Kathryn; Hunniford, Victoria T; Kowalewska, Paulina M; Krewulak, Karla; Lehmann, Christian; Macala, Kimberly; Marshall, John C; Mawdsley, Laura; McDonald, Braedon; McDonald, Ellen; Medeiros, Sarah K; Muniz, Valdirene S; Osuchowski, Marcin; Presseau, Justin; Sharma, Neha; Sohrabipour, Sahar; Sunohara-Neilson, Janet; Vázquez-Grande, Gloria; Veldhuizen, Ruud A W; Welsh, Donald; Winston, Brent W; Zarychanski, Ryan; Zhang, Haibo; Zhou, Juan; Lalu, Manoj M
    Abstract Despite decades of preclinical research, no experimentally derived therapies for sepsis have been successfully adopted into routine clinical practice. Factors that contribute to this crisis of translation include poor representation by preclinical models of the complex human condition of sepsis, bias in preclinical studies, as well as limitations of single-laboratory methodology. To overcome some of these shortcomings, multicentre preclinical studies—defined as a research experiment conducted in two or more research laboratories with a common protocol and analysis—are expected to maximize transparency, improve reproducibility, and enhance generalizability. The ultimate objective is to increase the efficiency and efficacy of bench-to-bedside translation for preclinical sepsis research and improve outcomes for patients with life-threatening infection. To this end, we organized the first meeting of the National Preclinical Sepsis Platform (NPSP). This multicentre preclinical  research collaboration of Canadian sepsis researchers and stakeholders was established to study the pathophysiology of sepsis and accelerate movement of promising therapeutics into early phase clinical trials. Integrated knowledge translation and shared decision-making were emphasized to ensure the goals of the platform align with clinical researchers and patient partners. 29 participants from 10 independent labs attended and discussed four main topics: (1) objectives of the platform; (2) animal models of sepsis; (3) multicentre methodology and (4) outcomes for evaluation. A PIRO model (predisposition, insult, response, organ dysfunction) for experimental design was proposed to strengthen linkages with interdisciplinary researchers and key stakeholders. This platform represents an important resource for maximizing translational impact of preclinical sepsis research.
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    Sex-based analysis of treatment responses in animal models of sepsis: a preclinical systematic review protocol
    (2023-03-21) Zhang, MengQi; Fergusson, Dean A.; Sharma, Rahul; Khoo, Ciel; Mendelson, Asher A.; McDonald, Braedon; Macala, Kimberly F.; Sharma, Neha; Gill, Sean E.; Fiest, Kirsten M.; Lehmann, Christian; Shorr, Risa; Jahandideh, Forough; Bourque, Stephane L.; Liaw, Patricia C.; Fox-Robichaud, Alison; Lalu, Manoj M.
    Abstract Background The importance of investigating sex- and gender-dependent differences has been recently emphasized by major funding agencies. Notably, the influence of biological sex on clinical outcomes in sepsis is unclear, and observational studies suffer from the effect of confounding factors. The controlled experimental environment afforded by preclinical studies allows for clarification and mechanistic evaluation of sex-dependent differences. We propose a systematic review to assess the impact of biological sex on baseline responses to disease induction as well as treatment responses in animal models of sepsis. Given the lack of guidance surrounding sex-based analyses in preclinical systematic reviews, careful consideration of various factors is needed to understand how best to conduct analyses and communicate findings. Methods MEDLINE and Embase will be searched (2011-present) to identify preclinical studies of sepsis in which any intervention was administered and sex-stratified data reported. The primary outcome will be mortality. Secondary outcomes will include organ dysfunction, bacterial load, and IL-6 levels. Study selection will be conducted independently and in duplicate by two reviewers. Data extraction will be conducted by one reviewer and audited by a second independent reviewer. Data extracted from included studies will be pooled, and meta-analysis will be conducted using random effects modeling. Primary analyses will be stratified by animal age and will assess the impact of sex at the following time points: pre-intervention, in response to treatment, and post-intervention. Risk of bias will be assessed using the SYRCLE’s risk-of-bias tool. Illustrative examples of potential methods to analyze sex-based differences are provided in this protocol. Discussion Our systematic review will summarize the current state of knowledge on sex-dependent differences in sepsis. This will identify current knowledge gaps that future studies can address. Finally, this review will provide a framework for sex-based analysis in future preclinical systematic reviews. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42022367726.