Abstract
Background: Penicillin belongs to the beta-Lactam group of antibiotics which is used as a first-line drug in veterinary medicine. The occurrence of penicillin anaphylaxis and its pathophysiology is rarely reported in ruminants.
Methods: In the present study, oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory response were investigated in 4 cases (Jersey crossbred) of penicillin hypersensitivity by assessing oxidative stress biomarkers and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Animals in the current experimental plan were divided into three groups, group I included penicillin hypersensitive (n=4), group II included penicillin tolerant (n=6) and group III (n=10), included healthy control animals.
Result: Mean values of temperature, heart rate and respiration were significantly (p<0.05) elevated in the penicillin-sensitive group compared to the penicillin tolerant and control group. The present study revealed significantly (p<0.05) elevated levels of lipid peroxidation (MDA), xanthine oxidase (XO), nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), while as levels of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were significantly reduced in the penicillin-sensitive group. Levels of G6PD showed significant positive correlation with GPx (r=0.54, P<0.001) and catalase (r=0.34, P<0.05) while as significant negative correlation with XO (r=0.39, P<0.05) was observed. Collectively, these findings indicate that the pathophysiology of penicillin hypersensitivity involves anti-oxidant imbalance and enhanced proinflammatory response and targeting these pathways can have therapeutic implications for penicillin hypersensitivity.