title: Norepinephrine-induced pulmonary petechiae in the rat: an experimental model with potential implications for sudden infant death syndrome.
abstract: Autonomic nervous system abnormalities have been implicated in infants dying of or considered at high risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In a rat model, norepinephrine (0.02 mg/kg) caused systemic hypertension and numerous pulmonary petechiae, the latter a common finding in SIDS. Petechiae were not seen below the diaphragm. The animals were killed by tracheal occlusion 5 min after the intravenous administration of norepinephrine. The number of pulmonary petechiae was greatly reduced by alpha-adrenergic blockade (phentolamine) and dopaminergic blockade (haloperidol) but not by beta-adrenergic blockade (timolol). A significantly greater reduction of peak mean systemic arterial pressure occurred after alpha-adrenergic blockade than with other blocking agents. It is conceivable that hypoxia-induced endogenous catecholamine release contributes to the pathogenesis of pulmonary petechiae found at necropsy of SIDS victims.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010646:Phentolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011693:Purpura / Q000139:chemically induced*; D051381:Rats; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000209:etiology*; D013999:Timolol / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D013999:Timolol; D006220:Haloperidol; D009638:Norepinephrine; D010646:Phentolamine