[Cardiodepressive effect of blood serum in severe forms of purulent infection]

The effect of human blood serum from patients with purulent infections (sepsis, purulent resorptive fever) has been studied on the electrical and mechanical activities of isolated auricles of guinea pig. The intracellular resting potentials (RP), action potentials (AP) and isometric contractions elicited by electrical stimulation (1 Hz) were measured. The patient serum diluted by Tyrode solution (1:1) didn't change RP values and AP amplitude but caused a decrease in the AP plateau phase duration (P less than less than 0.05). In 75% cases a replacement of the healthy donor serum by the serum from patients caused a decrease in the contraction amplitude. This cardiodepressive effect was reversible: washing of the preparation by the control Tyrode solution or by the donor serum restored the normal contractility. These data were compared with those obtained in studying the action of staphylococcus alpha-toxin on a preparation of guinea pig myocardium]