Role of Interleukin 6 (Il-6) and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) in Burn Eschar Bacterial Colonization and Wound Healing

Burn wounds become contaminated with bacteria during the course of recovery. In addition, there are some burn patients whose wounds do not heal for months. In the present study, we attempted to determine: 1. if seeding of a burn wound with Staphylococcus aureus would effect wound healing: and 2. if Il-6 and TNF, two cytokines commonly associated with burn injury, would alter burn wound healing and colonization of the burn eschar. In this study, male CD mice (Jackson Labs, 27–28 grams, wild type [WT], Il-6 interleukin 6 knockout, TNF knockout) were anesthetized and subjected to a 10% TBSA burn by lifting the skin from the back and pressing it for 10 seconds between two brass blocks equilibrated in a 100oC water bath. The animals were resuscitated with 2 ml of saline given intraperitoneally. Bioluminescent S. aureus (5 million CFU) were injected into the burn wound two hours after...