Effect of time post mortem on the concentration of endotoxin in rat organs: implications for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

The aim of the study was to test the following hypotheses: (i) that endotox in injected 40 min prior to death can be detected in rat organs post mortem and (ii) that endotoxin levels do non change with increasing time post mor tem. Rats were injected with or without endotoxin in buffered saline, 40 mi n prior to being killed. Endotoxin levels in rat organs were assessed using a Limulus amoebocyte assay. The effect of storage time post mortem was ass essed by following various storage regimes at 25 degrees C and 8 degrees C. Significant differences (P = < 0.001) in endotoxin levels of all samples t ested were found between rats injected with and without endotoxin. A signif icant increase in detectable endotoxin was observed between 0 h and 6 h pos t mortem in rats injected with or without endotoxin. No difference in detec table endotoxin levels in the kidney, liver and spleen was observed from 30 h to 102 h post mortem in rats injected with or without endotoxin. In rats injected with endotoxin, detectable endotoxin levels in the heart were rai sed between 0 h and 6 h, 6 h and 54 h, and 30 hand 78 h. Endotoxin injected into rats 40 min prior to death can be detected post mortem. For rats inje cted with saline or endotoxin prior to death levels in the kidney, liver an d spleen were not affected by storage at 8 degrees C for 30-102 h, after in itial storage at room temperature for 6 h. Levels of endotoxin detected in the hearts of rats injected with saline were not affected by storage up to 102 h. In rats injected with endotoxin prior to death, detectable levels in the heart were significantly affected by increasing time in storage. (C) 1 999 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.