Tissue metabolites in endotoxin and hemorrhagic shock; a comparison.

Abstract

Tissue levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), lactic acid, and glucose were measured in previously splenectomized mongrel dogs subjected to hemorrhagic shock or to endotoxin shock. In the 13 hemorrhagic shock dogs, mean liver ATP dropped by 75% and small bowel ATP by 50%. There was little change in the corresponding mean ATP levels in the eight endotoxin shock dogs ( P =.01 to.02). Lactic acid was higher in all tissues in the hemorrhagic group, significantly so in muscle and liver ( P =.01 to .02). Glucose/glycogen in muscle and liver decreased to comparable levels in both groups. These findings suggest that anaerobic metabolism in tissues is a more important component of hemorrhagic shock than it is of endotoxin shock.