The activation of α₂-adrenergic receptor in the spinal cord lowers sepsis-induced mortality

The effect of clonidine administered intrathecally (i.t.) on the mortality and the blood glucose level induced by sepsis was examined in mice. To produce sepsis, the mixture of D-galactosamine (GaLN; 0.6 g/10 ml)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS; $27{\mu}g/27{\mu}l$) was treated intraperitoneally (i.p.). The i.t. pretreatment with clonidine ($5{\mu}g/5{\mu}l$) increased the blood glucose level and attenuated mortality induced by sepsis in a dose-dependent manner. The i.t. post-treatment with clonidine up to 3 h caused an elevation of the blood glucose level and protected sepsis-induced mortality, whereas clonidine post-treated at 6, 9, or 12 h did not affect. The pre-treatment with oral D-glucose for 30 min prior to i.t. post-treatment (6 h) with clonidine did not rescue sepsis-induced mortality. In addition, i.t. pretreatment with pertussis toxin (PTX) reduced clonidine-induced protection against mortality and clonidine-induced hyperglycemia, suggesting that protective effect against sepsis-induced mortality seems to be mediated via activating PTX-sensitive G-proteins in the spinal cord. Moreover, pretreatment with clonidine attenuated the plasma tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) induced by sepsis. Clonidine administered i.t. or i.p. increased $p-AMPK{\alpha}1$ and $p-AMPK{\alpha}2$, but decreased p-Tyk2 and p-mTOR levels in both control and sepsis groups, suggesting that the up-regulations of $p-AMPK{\alpha}1$ and $p-AMPK{\alpha}2$, or down-regulations of p-mTOR and p-Tyk2 may play critical roles for the protective effect of clonidine against sepsis-induced mortality.