[Reactions of the endothelium in endotoxic shock]

The endothelium should be regarded as a cellular system that plays an important part in maintaining the hemostatic balance of the organism. Depending on the vascular region a number of different types of non-endothelial cell are present in the normal intimal layer, but macrophages and lymphoid cells are always found. In some vessels other kinds of cells have also been described: the fat-storing cells in the hepatic sinusoids, for instance. Macrophages and lymphoid cells in the liver sinusoids were proved to originate from the bone-marrow in both physiological and pathological circumstances. Animal experiments were undertaken to assess the effects of administering shock-inducing doses of endotoxin. The damage incurred by the endothelium varied considerably both from place to place and in degree. Repair of the damage was characterized by an interaction between endothelial and non-endothelial cells, as well as by a great increase in the proliferation of both kinds of cell. The changes which follow endotoxin-induced shock can therefore be described as a generalized inflammation of the intima.