Increased susceptibility of aged rats to haemorrhage and intravascular hypercoagulation following endotoxin administered in a generalized Shwartzman regime

• Published in: Journal of comparative pathology Vol. 105; no. 3; pp. 323 - 330
• Main Authors: Carthew, P., Dorman, B.M., Edwards, R.E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 01.10.1991; Elsevier; Published by Elsevier Ltd
• Subjects: Aging - physiology; Animals; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Depression, Chemical; Disease Susceptibility; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation - chemically induced; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation - pathology; Endotoxins - administration & dosage; Endotoxins - toxicity; Fibrinolysis - drug effects; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hemorrhage - chemically induced; Hemorrhage - pathology; Male; Microbiology; Rats; Shwartzman Phenomenon - chemically induced; Shwartzman Phenomenon - pathology; Tranexamic Acid - pharmacology; Vertebrata; Sensitivity; Mammalia; Histopathology; Rat; Rodentia; Endotoxin
• ISSN: 0021-9975; 1532-3129
• DOI: 10.1016/S0021-9975(08)80200-9

Ageing rats are known to have an increased incidence of myocardial fibrosis and dyspnoea caused by pulmonary intravascular coagulation. In order to determine whether endotoxin can be responsible for such responses in ageing rats we have exposed rats of differing ages (2 months, 16 months and 24 months) to single or repeated (two doses 24 h apart; generalized Shwartzman regime) intravenous doses of endotoxin (E. coli 0111134). Only the 2-year-old rats reacted adversely. Two doses of endotoxin produced death, with focal myocardial necrosis, haemorrhage and pulmonary and hepatic intravascular coagulation. The increased susceptibility of aged rats to the toxic effects of endotoxin explains some of the changes found in the tissues of old rats. The sporadic nature of both cardiac failure and dyspnoea as a cause of morbidity and mortality in ageing rats may be related to the need for two endotoxin episodes in a period of 24 h to provoke a generalized Shwartzman reaction, an occurrence likely to be relatively uncommon under natural conditions.