ENDOTOXEMIA AND BRAIN BILIRUBIN IN THE RAT

To investigate the possible role of sepsis with endotoxemia in kernict erus, we studied the effect of endotoxin on accumulation of bilirubin and albumin in rat brain. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given Escheric hia coli endotoxin i.v. After 150 min 10 muCi I-125-bovine serum album in was given intravenously, followed by a 1-hour bilirubin infusion. B rain bilirubin was significantly higher in the endotoxin group than in the controls (1.34 +/- 0.47 vs. 0.83 +/- 0.31 mug/g, p < 0.05). Howev er, the difference between the ratios of brain bilirubin to total seru m bilirubin at the time of sacrifice were not significant. Total and u nbound bilirubin values were significantly higher in the endotoxin-tre ated group at 165 min. Endotoxemia increased the net accumulation of b ilirubin in rat brain, but this increase was probably secondary to an increase in total and unbound bilirubin, rather than an increase in th e transfer per se of bilirubin across the blood-brain barrier.