Glucans: A Therapeutic Alternative for Sepsis Treatment

Abstract

Sepsis treatment is a challenging condition due to its complexity, which involves host inflammatory responses to a severe and potentially fatal infection, associated with organ dysfunction. The aim of this study was to analyze the scientific literature on the immunomodulatory effects of glucans in a murine model of systemic infection induced by cecal ligation and puncture. This study comprises an integrative literature review based on systematic steps, with searches carried out in the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases. In most studies, the main type of glucan investigated was β-glucan, at 50 mg/kg, and a reduction of inflammatory responses was identified, minimizing the occurrence of tissue damage leading to increased animal survival. Based on the data obtained and discussed in this review, glucans represent a promising biotechnological alternative to modulate the immune response and could potentially be used in the clinical management of septic individuals.

Figure 1

Article selection flowchart (adapted from PRISMA 2020 flowchart).

Figure 2

Mechanism underlying the protective effects of glucan treatment in cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced infections. Prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatment enables a better immune response from the host in the fight against infection. The mechanism involved in the response involves the modulation of the expression of genes related to mortality, such as TLR-4. The treatment made it possible to reduce the expression of these genes, as well as related proteins, correlating with improved long-term survival. In addition, it allows control of colony-forming units and facilitates a reduction in plasma levels of enzymes that actively participate in the inflammatory process, such as myeloperoxidase (MPO), which is strongly associated with neutrophil infiltration and subsequent tissue damage. The immune response stimulated through treatment with glucan protects the host, not only by increasing its survival rate but also by controlling exacerbated inflammatory response, preventing multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), highlighting the effectiveness of this natural product as a therapeutic intervention against serious infections.