Effects of endotoxin and E. coli shock on the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrate.

Abstract

Many investigators have shown that injection of endotoxin of gram-negative bacilli or infection with various bacteria causes hyperlipidemia in experimental animals (4, 5, 8, 11, 13, 17). In one of the few clinical studies in this area, Gallin et al. have shown that in gram-negative infections a significant hyperlipidemia occurs that is related to elevated concentrations of phospholipids, free fatty acids, and triglycerides (6). They further reported an initial rise in free fatty acids 2 hours after Escherichia coli injection in rabbits; at 24 hours after injection fatty acid values had reverted toward normal, whereas triglycerides were rising. It is important to investigate how these alterations in blood lipids may be related to changes in the mechanism of energy production in cells. In particular, does it represent a normal and beneficial adaptation to a particular type of stress or, rather, a pathological and detrimental condition requiring correction?KeywordsFree Fatty AcidElevated Free Fatty AcidCellular Energy ProductionEpinephrine ReleaseNaval Medical Research InstituteThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.