MYOCARDIAL-FUNCTION IN FELINE ENDOTOXIN-SHOCK - CORRELATION BETWEEN MYOCARDIAL-CONTRACTILITY, ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, AND ULTRASTRUCTURE

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 6  (3) , 201-211
Abstract
The nature of the myocardial depression observed in patients with septic shock, and in animals late in shock induced by endotoxin, is still under examination. Cats and kittens was administered an LD80 [80% of lethal dose] dose of Escherichia coli endotoxin to examine the relationship between changes in myocardial contractility, in cellular electrophysiology and in ultrastructural morphology. There was no difference between tension developed in vitro by cardiac muscle removed from cats 5 h after endotoxin administration and from cats not administered endotoxin. There was also no difference in their responses to CaCl2 or to anoxia. The action potential characteristics of ventricular muscle isolated from endotoxin treated cats were not different from control, and ultrastructural damage was minimal and not extensive. Endotoxin (100 .mu.g/ml) had no effect on cardiac muscle in vitro, even after a 1 h contact time. The integrity of the myocardium is maintained even late in shock and endotoxin has no direct effects on the heart.

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