Dose- and time-dependent changes in plasma catecholamines in response to endotoxin in conscious rats

Time- and dose-dependent changes in plasma catecholamines, heart rate, and blood pressure were studied in response to sublethal doses of intravenous (i.v.) bacterial endotoxin in conscious male rats. Hypotension occurred with high endotoxin (1,000 micrograms/kg), whereas hypertension occurred in the low-dose group (10 micrograms/kg). All groups had significant tachycardia, which was dose and time dependent, but heart rate was unchanged for the first 2 hr in the low-dose groups (100 and 10 micrograms/kg). Plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) increased with both dose and time and there was significant interaction of dose and time effects. NE levels increased maximally at 0.5 hr following the highest dose of endotoxin and remained elevated during the protocol. Plasma E levels were maximal at 0.5 hr in the high-dose group, but then declined while remaining significantly higher than the 10 and 100 micrograms/kg endotoxin-treated groups for the duration of the protocol. Peak E levels in the 100 and 10 micrograms/kg group occurred at 3.0 hr and then decreased at the 6.0 hr time. Significant increases in plasma catecholamines and heart rate with endotoxin in the absence of significant hypotension present the possibility that factors other than blood pressure may be mediating efferent sympathetic outflow in endotoxicosis.