The production of haemorrhagic necrosis in the hamster cheek pouch by bacterial endotoxins and catecholamines

Abstract

THE demonstration of endotoxin activity in a number of indigenous oral bacteria (MERGENHAGEN, HAMPP and SCHERP, 1961) as well as the abundance of such organisms in the gingival crevice area (GIBBONS et al., 1963), suggest a possible role of endotoxin in the etiology of periodontal disease (SCHERP, 1962). Susceptibility of oral tissues to experimental pathological phenomena utilizing endotoxins has been demonstrated (Rrzzo and MERGENHAGEN, 1960). An experimental lesion employing endotoxins and catecholamines has been described by THOMAS (1956). Thomas reported that administration of epinephrine or norepinephrine locally in conjunction with either a systemic or local injection of small quantities of endotoxin produced haemorrhagic necrosis at the local site within 24 hr. The present study was undertaken to determine if this endotoxin-catecholamine lesion could be produced in oral tissues. Intraperitoneal administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharide was followed by local injection of catecholamines into the abdominal skin and cheek pouch of adult male golden hamsters. These bacterial endotoxins (Escherichia coli 0111 :B4, Bacto Lipopolysaccharide, Difco Laboratories, and Leptotrichiu buccalis, kindly supplied by Dr. Wilson de Araujo, Faculdade National de Odontologia, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil) which had been extracted by the phenol-water method, were suspended in 0.1 ml sterile pyrogen free saline and used for inoculations. Animals were anaesthetized by means of intraperitoneal injections of sodium pentobartitol for all intra-oral procedures. In order to test the necrotizing ability of each vasopressor, various concentrations of crystalline epinephrine (L-Adrenalin, Eastman Organic Chemicals) from 1000 pg/O*O5 ml to @Ol pg/O*O5 ml and norepinephrine (t_-Arterenol Bitartrate, General Biochemicals) from 100 pg/O*O5 ml to 0.01 pg/O*O5 ml dissolved in saline at constant volume were assayed for their ability to produce macroscopically visible alterations when injected submucosally in the pouch and intradermally in the skin. Such tested animals received l-3 hr previously 0.1 ml of saline intraperitoneally as a control for subsequent experiments. Epinephrine (1.0 pg) and norepinephrine (0.1 pg) did not