ELECTROPHORETIC MOBILITY OF ERYTHROCYTES IN RABBITS DURING ENDOTOXIN SHOCK

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the electrophoretic mobility (EM) of erythrocytes in rabbits during endotoxin shock. Investigations about mechanisms triggering the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation during septic shock have found the direct activating effect of endotoxins of blood coagulation cascade system and the occurrence of blood cellular aggregation. The chapter presents a study involving the method of cell electrophoresis, which was used for tracing of electrophoretic mobility of erythrocytes in 20 rabbits during endotoxin shock induced by an intravenous administration of 2 mg/kg E. coli endotoxin. Five animals injected with saline served as controls. Blood samples for EM measurement were withdrawn 5, 30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 min following the endotoxin or saline administration, respectively. Erythrocytes were separated by a threefold washing in saline and were resuspended in a sodium–phosphate buffer. EM values marked an initial increase, which, for the separate animals, became significant at different intervals after the endotoxin administration. An EM decrease followed, assuming significant values at the second hour and progressing to the end of the investigated period. The correlations thus found suggest electrophoretic mobility of erythrocytes as a valuable parameter for endotoxin shock development tracing.