This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by From, A. H. L. Articles by Spink, W. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by From, A. H. L. Articles by Spink, W. W.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infect Immun. 1970 July; 2(1): 38-41
Copyright © 1970 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Complement in Endotoxin Shock: Effect of Complement Depletion on the Early Hypotensive Phase

^a Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455

ABSTRACT

The complement (C) inhibition caused by bacterial endotoxin is well known, but the relationship of this reaction to endotoxin shock is unclear. Anesthetized dogs were therefore given Escherichia coli endotoxin intravenously with or without prior C depletion by a purified cobra venom factor (CVF). Mean aortic blood pressures (MAP) and C levels were measured. Intravenous CVF usually caused an early transient drop of MAP and a profound, long-lasting drop in C. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alone always caused a sudden (within 2 min) drop in MAP which was followed by partial recovery and then more long-lasting depression. Moderate drops in C usually occurred. In animals pretreated with CVF so that C levels were markedly depressed (<25% of control), LPS did not elicit the immediate MAP drops; however, a later (after 5 to 20 min) MAP drop always occurred. CVF pretreatment did not modify LPS-induced mortality. CVF effects were not caused by LPS contamination. These data show that the early hemodynamic responses of the dog to LPS may be mediated through the complement system.

¹ Established Investigator of the American Heart Association.

² Queen Elizabeth II Canadian Research Fund Fellow.

³ Regents' Professor of Medicine.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Mizuno, M., Nishikawa, K., Okada, N., Matsuo, S., Ito, K., Okada, H. (1999). Inhibition of a Membrane Complement Regulatory Protein by a Monoclonal Antibody Induces Acute Lethal Shock in Rats Primed with Lipopolysaccharide. J. Immunol. 162: 5477-5482 [Abstract] [Full Text]