Abstract 17343: Innate T Cells Improve Brain Injury and Mortality After Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation

Introduction: Systemic inflammation may contribute to brain injury and mortality after cardiac arrest and resuscitation (CA/CPR). The early increase of inflammatory cytokines (such as interferon-γ [IFNγ]) suggests a role for innate immunity in CA/CPR. Natural Killer T (NKT) cells, a type of innate T cell, are “master regulators” of IFNγ and other facets of the early innate immune response in other disease models. To study the regulation of innate immunity after CA/CPR, we examined CD1dKO mice (which lack both invariant NKT cells and diverse NKT cells) and Jα18 KO mice (which lack only invariant NKT cells). Hypothesis: NKT cells control inflammation, brain injury, and mortality in CA/CPR. Methods: Mice were mechanically ventilated, underwent 8 min. of normothermic CA with potassium chloride i.v. and were resuscitated with chest compressions and epinephrine i.v. Results: Surprisingly, normally pro-inflammatory NKT cells had a protective effect. After CA/CPR, pan-NKT cell-deficient (CD1d KO) mice had markedl...