title: Septic shock: no correlation between plasma levels of nitric oxide metabolites and hypotension or lethality.
abstract: In the Wistar rat (Riv:TOX strain), Escherichia coli-derived lipopolysaccharide, up to 100 mg/kg, did not affect blood pressure. However, 6 h after administration of live E. coli or Staphylococcus aureus (a microorganism without lipopolysaccharide), both dosed at 12 x 10(9) colony forming units/kg, mean arterial blood pressure significantly decreased to 64% and 48% compared to control, respectively. In contrast to lipopolysaccharide, bacteria produced a dose-dependent lethality within 24 h. Live S. aureus increased plasma levels of nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) only four-fold, while both lipopolysaccharide and live E. coli approximately 20-fold. In conclusion, we demonstrated a lack of correlation between plasma NOx levels and hypotension or lethality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection, Bilthoven, Netherlands.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: van Amsterdam
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bisschop
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Piet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wemer
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: de Wildt
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000503:physiopathology; D007022:Hypotension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases