Involvement of circulating phospholipase A2 in the pathogenesis of the hemodynamic changes in endotoxin shock

This study examined the role of plasma phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in the mediation of the hypotension associated with experimental endotoxin shock in rabbits. Endotoxin shock was induced in rabbits, and mean arterial blood pressure and plasma PLA2 levels were monitored. Serial plasma PLA2 determinations over 5 h showed an 11-fold increase in circulating enzyme activity, and the rise in circulating enzyme activity was directly related to the fall in mean arterial blood pressure. Pretreatment of rabbits with glucocorticoids abrogated the hypotensive effect of endotoxin, and also inhibited a rise in plasma PLA2 activity. To determine if the rise in PLA2 activity was simply a mechanistically unrelated epiphenomenon, the effect of infusion of exogenous PLA2 (purified from the blood of rabbits in endotoxin shock) was investigated. Infusion of the exogenous enzyme into normal rabbits caused a fall in mean arterial blood pressure, and the rate of fall of blood pressure paralleled that induced by endotoxin itself. Treatment of the PLA2-active fraction, prior to infusion with the PLA2 inhibitor, p-bromophenacyl bromide, protected against this hypotensive effect. These data are consistent with the postulate that the endotoxin-induced release of massive amounts of PLA2 into the systemic circulation in rabbits contributes significantly to the hypotension associated with septic shock.