MORTALITY-RATE AND BACTEREMIA, ENDOTOXIN, AND ENDOTHELIN-1 LEVELS IN ANTIBIOTIC-THERAPY FOR ESCHERICHIA-COLI SEPTIC PERITONITIS

In order to study the mortality rate and bacteremia, plasma endotoxin, and plasma endothelin-1 levels in antibiotic therapy for E. coli peri tonitis, blood samples were obtained from rats given intraperitoneal i njections of latamoxef or placebo. Intraperitoneal injections of latam oxef improved the prognosis of peritonitis rats. Two h after treatment , bacteremia levels were noticeably higher in rats treated with placeb o than in rats treated with latamoxef, but the latamoxef-treated group manifested a significant elevation of plasma endotoxin and endothelin -1 levels compared to the placebo-treated group. The results of this s tudy demonstrate that treating E. coli septic peritonitis with selecte d antibiotics induces increased plasma endotoxin levels, which are ass ociated with elevation of plasma endothelin-1 levels.