The effect of endotoxin and "endotoxoid" infusion in pregnant rabbits.

Abstract

Glomerular fibrin deposition, the hallmark of the Generalized Shwartzman Reaction, can be produced by a continuous infusion of a sublethal dose of endotoxin in rabbits and rats. The infusion of the active endotoxin into pregnant rabbits produced disseminated intravascular coagulation in a shorter time and quantitatively more pronounced than in the non-pregnant animal. Although the higher susceptibility of pregnant animals to endotoxin is well established, the infusion of an endotoxoid with little pyrogenic activity did not result in glomerular fibrin deposition, but a decrease in platelet number was noted. These data indicate that the endotoxoid has the cytotoxic activity of the original endotoxin molecule but the part of the molecule which induces fibrin deposition in the microcirculation is missing after the biochemical alteration.