Endotoxin-induced hypocalcemia results in defective calcium mobilization in rats.
Hypocalcemia is common in critically ill patients with sepsis; however, its etiology remains unclear. We have previously reported that hypocalcemia occurs in approximately 20% of patients with gram-negative septicemia. Based upon this finding, we evaluated the effect of endotoxin on calcium homeostasis in laboratory animals. We report here that endotoxin produces a dose-related decrease in circulating ionized calcium levels and impairs calcium mobilization during ethylenebis (oxyethylenenitrilo)-tetraacetic acid infusion. We conclude that endotoxin or its products can cause ionized hypocalcemia during sepsis by impairing calcium mobilization.
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D004926:Escherichia coli; D006996:Hypocalcemia / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D004731:Endotoxins; D004533:Egtazic Acid; D002118:Calcium