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Role of endogenous carbon monoxide in endotoxin shock
1Department of Pediatrics, Research Institute of Surgery, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042.
Objective:
To study the role of endogenous carbon monoxide (CO) in endotoxin shock.
Methods:
The changes of CO levels and the effects of zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP), an inhibitor of heme-oxygenase (HO), in endotoxin shock and the efficacy of hemin, an inducer of HO were investigated.
Results:
The plasma CO levels were found to be significantly increased during the course of endotoxin shock. Injection of ZnPP was shown to abrogate the endotoxin-induced hypotension and metabolic derangements markedly. Administration of hemin to healthy rabbits revealed the hypotension and metabolic derangements similar to the animals given endotoxin.
Conclusion:
CO is a newly found endogenously produced mediator which may play an important role in the pathogenesis of endotoxin shock.