Abstract
It has been demonstrated that the early toxic symptoms due to endotoxin in rabbits, such as depression, dyspnea and diarrhea were due to central autonomic disturbances and could be sedated by antipyretics. The late stage of intoxication was characterized by hepatic glycogen depletion due to enhanced glycogen utilization and relative adrenocortical insufficiency. Hypoglycemia, hypothermia and arterial hypotension which could not be influenced by antipyretics ensued. Thus dual mechanisms of endotoxin intoxication have been postulated: the one is the central autonomic disturbances related to the activation of the febrile mechanism and the other is the metabolic disturbances leading to carbohydrate depletion. The latter has been discussed in relation to the uptake of endotoxin in hepatic reticuloendothelial cells.
The dyspnea, the most characteristic toxic manifestation in rabbits were found to be due to epinephrine discharge which is prone to occur in this timid species.Even respiratory disturbances leading to early deaths could occur. In adrenalectomized rabbits, although the dyspnea was absent, a marked tendency to vagotonia leading to an irreversible depressor reflex or a marked depletion of carbohydrate store determined their extreme susceptibility to endotoxin.
