Infection and Immunity, December 1998, p. 5906-5914, Vol. 66, No. 12
0019-9567/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Received 26 May 1998/Returned for modification 25 August 1998/Accepted 11 September 1998
By mimicking hemostatic structural domains of collagen,
Streptococcus sanguis (aggregation-positive phenotype;
Agg+) induces platelets to aggregate in vitro. To test the
hypothesis that aggregation occurs in vivo, S. sanguis
(Agg+ or Agg
suspension) was infused
intravenously into rabbits. The extent of hemodynamic and
cardiopulmonary changes and the fate of circulating platelets were
Agg+ strain dose dependent. Within 45 to 50 s of the
start of infusion, 40 × 108 CFU of the
Agg+ strain caused increased blood pressure. Thirty seconds
after infusion, other changes occurred. Intermittent
electrocardiographic abnormalities (13 of 15 rabbits), ST-segment
depression (10 of 15 rabbits), and preventricular contractions (7 of 15 rabbits) manifested at 3 to 7 min, with frequencies dose dependent.
Respiratory rate and cardiac contractility increased during this phase.
Blood catecholamine concentration, thrombocytopenia, accumulation of 111Indium-labeled platelets in the lungs, and ventricular
axis deviation also showed dose dependency. Rabbits were unaffected by
inoculation of an Agg
strain. Therefore, Agg+
S. sanguis induced platelet aggregation in vitro. Platelet
clots caused hemodynamic changes, acute pulmonary hypertension, and cardiac abnormalities, including ischemia.
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