'Escherichia coli' Shock in the Baboon and the Response to Adrenocorticosteroid Treatment

Recent studies from this laboratory have demonstrated that methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MP) increases survival rate in animals given LD100 Escherichia coli endotoxin. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of MP on the baboon infused with live Escherichia coli organisms. Awake animals were paired by infusing comparable intravenous doses of Escherichia coli during a 5-hour period. Baboons given MP received bolus injections of 30 mg/kg at 15 minutes after initiation of Escherichia coli infusion and 2-hour infusions of 15 mg/kg at 2-hour intervals until death or for a 24-hour period. Mortality rate was unaltered by MP. Six of 7 animals dying became progressively hypoglycemic while hypoinsulinemia occurred in all animals within 6 hours and was sustained until death. Systemic hypotension was observed, although pressures were variable. Potassium and lactate concentrations increased while pH remained relatively constant in most animals. SGPT and arginase concentrations rose in most baboons dying in 18 hours. Morphologic studies revealed the presence of fibrin thrombi in the liver, kidney and adrenal tissue in most animals. No significant differences in physiologic, metabolic, hematologic or morphologic parameters were observed between treated and untreated animals. (Author)