Effects of vitamin A on endotoxaemia in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To find out if survival after peritonitis induced by caecal puncture and injection of endotoxin is correlated with serum endotoxin concentrations in rats; whether this study could be carried out by studying the effects of vitamin A in rats with peritonitis; and if it was possible to differentiate between local and systemic effects of vitamin A on endotoxaemia in rats.


METHODS
Prospective randomised study.


METHODS
Sixty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats.


METHODS
Rats were kept on a diet containing no vitamin A for six days; 30 were given vitamin A 1,380 IU/kg/day intramuscularly and 30 were given peanut oil. Peritonitis was then induced in 16 rats by caecal puncture (treated n = 10, untreated n = 6) and the remainder received intraperitoneal injections of either 0.5 mg/kg endotoxin, or 2.0 mg/kg endotoxin.


METHODS
Plasma concentrations of vitamin A, vitamin E, and serum concentrations of endotoxin, estimation of erythrocyte volume fraction and leucocyte particle concentrations, and survival.


RESULTS
Rats that were given 2 mg of endotoxin had higher mortality and did generally less well than others. Serum endotoxin concentrations were lower in those groups that had been pretreated with vitamin A. No animal developed vitamin A deficiency and there were no differences in erythrocyte volume fraction or leucocyte particle concentration between those that did and did not receive vitamin A.


CONCLUSIONS
Vitamin A lowered the concentration of endotoxin in the circulation, it has a central function in the host's defence against endotoxin, and the experimental model seems suitable for the study of the effect of vitamin A or endotoxemia and peritonitis.
Department of Paediatric Surgery, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
P W
PW
Drott
S
S
Meurling
L
L
Kulander
O
O
Eriksson
D000818:Animals; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D015996:Survival Rate; D014115:Toxemia / Q000097:blood*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*
D004731:Endotoxins; D014801:Vitamin A