Left and right ventricular function in porcine Escherichia coli sepsis

In anesthesized pigs, hemodynamic measurements and gated bloodpool scintigraphy were performed during and after infusion of live Escherichia coli (2 X 10(8)/kg). Ejection fractions (EF) as well as the relation between end-diastolic volumes (EDV) and stroke work (SW) were used to evaluate changes in left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function. Porcine E. coli sepsis proved to be characterized by pulmonary vascular hypertension (PVH) and systemic arterial hypotension, accompanied by a reflex increase in heart rate. Systemic flow remained essentially unchanged. E. coli infusion resulted in pronounced and opposite changes in LV and RV preload. RVEDV increased initially and then returned to the value observed before E. coli infusion. LVEDV showed a continuous decrease during the observation of 3 hours. Alterations in LVSW and RVSW appeared to parallel the changes in LVEDV and RVEDV. No significant changes in LVEF and RVEF were found. It is concluded that porcine E. coli sepsis might be a suitable model for human sepsis complicated by PVH. In this animal model no clear signs of myocardial depression or evidence of right heart failure were observed.