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Free Radicals in Chemical Biology: from Chemical Behavior to Biomarker Development
Published on: April 15, 2013
STUDIES OF THE GENERALIZED SHWARTZMAN REACTION PRODUCED BY DIET : I. PATHOLOGY
1Department of Pathology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City.
The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|October 30, 2009
Summary
Pregnant rats can develop a generalized Shwartzman reaction using specific diets, without bacterial endotoxin. This dietary induction highlights a novel pathway for triggering this severe inflammatory response during pregnancy.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Reproductive Biology
- Pathology
Background:
- The generalized Shwartzman reaction is typically induced by bacterial endotoxins.
- Dietary factors influencing this reaction, especially during pregnancy, are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential for dietary induction of the generalized Shwartzman reaction in pregnant rats.
- To identify pathological changes associated with diet-induced Shwartzman reaction during gestation.
Main Methods:
- Rats were fed a diet low in tocopherol, followed by a diet with oxidized lipids during gestation.
- Animals were observed for spontaneous death, and tissues were examined for fibrin thrombi and placental pathology.
Main Results:
- Dietary induction of the generalized Shwartzman reaction was achieved in pregnant rats without exogenous endotoxin.
- High incidences of fibrin thrombi were observed in renal glomeruli (88.5%) and lungs (94.2%).
- Significant placental pathologies, including trophoblast degeneration and thrombosis, were noted in 10% of cases.
Conclusions:
- Dietary manipulation, specifically low tocopherol and oxidized lipids, can induce the generalized Shwartzman reaction in pregnant rats.
- Pregnancy near term is critical for the development of this diet-induced reaction.
- The precise mechanisms underlying this dietary induction require further elucidation.
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