Hepatic reticuloendothelial protection against bacteremia in experimental hemorrhagic shock

Gram-negative septicemia is an increasingly common problem, and various suggestions have been made about the cause. One not often considered is that it may be the result of failure of hepatic removal of organisms which have crossed the intestinal mucosal barrier from the large bowel lumen to the portal blood stream. Splanchnic hypoperfusion both increases mucosal permeability and reduces the ability of the hepatic reticuloendothelial system (RES) to remove particulate matter from the blood. If RES funciton is reduced further by blockade with colloidal carbon, then any tnedency for bacteremia to occur in shock might be enhanced. Splenectomized greyhounds, who had received a portal perfusion of either colloidal carbon or saline, were subjected to a period of hypovolemia and then were resucitated. Peripheral blood cultures were sterile at all times in the control animals and before bleeding in the dogs that recived carbon. However, all the RE-blockaded animals developed bacteremia during shock, It was condluded that hepatic RES funciton was essential in the prevention of bacteremia in the hypovolemic dog and that investigation should be directed toward studies of RES function in man with a view to determining the importance or otherwise of the RES in relation to gram-negative bacteremia.