INCREASED PLASMA ENDOTHELIN-1 CONCENTRATIONS IN ESCHERICHIA-COLI SEPTIC PERITONITIS RATS WITH DIABETES-MELLITUS

To study the diabetic mellitus (DM) patient's reaction to sepsis, we i nvestigated the survival rate, the bacteremia, plasma endotoxin and pl asma endothelin-1 levels in E.coli septic peritonitis rats with or wit hout streptozotocin-induced DM. No significant difference could be det ected between the DM and nondiabetic rats in the survival rate, the ba cteremia level or the plasma endotoxin level. The DM rat manifested a significant increase compared to the nondiabetic rat in the plasma end othelin-1 level four hours after the outbreak of peritonitis. Endothel in-1 may thus play some role in the E. coli septic peritonitis rat wit h DM.