Experimental Shwartzman phenomenon in the heart muscle.

Intravenous injection of E. coli culture caused a sudden death in rabbits which were injected Streptococcus culture into the myocardium 24 h before the experiment. Pretreatment of animals with Trasylol-R, before injection of E. coli culture, caused an increase of survival time. In isolated Langendorff perfused heart from myocardially Streptococcus culture injected animals, E. coli culture filtrate caused a transitory increase and then a continuous decrease in coronary perfusion pressure together with an increase in heart rate. These findings are shown to be prevented by previous addition of Trasylol to the perfusion medium. According to these results it is speculated that a Shwartzman-like phenomenon can also occur in the heart muscle. The possible role of the activation of tissue kallikrein system in the production of this phenomenon is discussed.