Epitope specificity of anti-Adrenomedullin antibodies determines efficacy of mortality reduction in a cecal ligation and puncture mouse model

INTRODUCTION: Adrenomedullin (ADM), a circulating vasodilatory peptide, plays an important role in the development of sepsis-associated hemodynamic and microcirculatory disorders. While administration of exogenous ADM had beneficial effects in several septic animal models, elevated ADM concentrations are associated with a bad outcome. This prompted us to test the effect of various anti-ADM antibodies in a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) mouse model. METHODS: To gain new potential compounds for the treatment or prevention of septic shock we followed an alternative strategy to influence the ADM system: High-affinity anti-ADM antibodies with different epitope specificities were developed and their antagonist activity in vitro and their ability to reduce mortality in a CLP mouse model were assessed. RESULTS: An anti-ADM antibody directed against the N-terminus substantially increased the survival of mice in a CLP model (HR = 0.077 (CI = 0.0189 to 0.315), p = 0.0004), whereas other antibodies with similar affinities but different epitope specificities were much less potent. The efficacious antibody, in contrast to an anti-C-terminal antibody, only partially inhibited ADM agonist activity in vitro. Healthy mice were not negatively affected by the N-terminal antibody. CONCLUSIONS: An anti-N-terminal ADM antibody, as opposed to antibodies with other epitope specificities, strongly reduces mortality in CLP mice. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2197-425X-1-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.