[Changes in prostaglandins in endotoxin-induced shock in pregnant minipigs]

Six pregnant mini-pigs received a continuous endotoxin infusion of 1 mg/kg body weight. E.-coli-lipopolysaccharide, two control animals were treated in the same way without endotoxin application. Blood was drawn from the fetal umbilical cord after exposure through a uterine window. In contrast to the controls, concentrations of prostaglandin F2 alpha increased in animals which received endotoxin infusions. The prostaglandin-E2-concentrations in the treated pregnant animals decreased by half during the first hour of the experiment, whereas they staid fairly constant in the untreated group of animals. The thromboxane-B2-concentration increased from 70 to 110 pg/ml three hours after endotoxin application in contrast to the control group. The fetuses in both groups did not show any significant changes during the experiments. The results indicate that prostaglandin F2 alpha is released as a special endotoxin effect in adult mini-pigs. Our measurements in the fetus make a direct endotoxin effect across the placenta unlikely. The fetuses of the mini-pigs, however, died as a result of the maternal cardio-vascular collaps.