title: Endotoxin boosts the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in rabbits.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a cytokine that greatly increases vascular permeability and thereby promotes hypovolemia. The present study examines whether the plasma VEGF concentration is increased by a bolus injection of endotoxin 20 microg/kg in 30 rabbits, and whether the response is modified by vitamin A, which doubles the endotoxin clearance. The results show that endotoxin stimulates a gradual increase in the VEGF concentration to a peak 5 h later which is approximately 100 times higher than the baseline concentration. No statistically significant difference was found between the rabbits that received no further treatment (n = 10) and the ones that were given 1000 IE/kg of vitamin A intravenously 1 h before (n = 10) or after (n = 10) the endotoxin. The rise in VEGF correlated with the development of fever, and the VEGF concentrations were higher in animals with a severely affected physical status as judged by the breathing pattern and changes in posture or reactivity. In conclusion, release of VEGF is part of the cytokine response to endotoxin with a peak occurring 5 h after a bolus injection, and the rise is pronounced also in the presence of a high endotoxin clearance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Stockholm Söder Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. robert.hahn@anest.sos.sll.se
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C082161:lipopolysaccharide A; D014801:Vitamin A