Arachidonic acid metabolism in endotoxin tolerance.

The arachidonic acid metabolites thromboxane A2, a potent platelet aggregator, and prostacyclin, a potent vasodilator, are released early in endotoxin shock and may contribute to its pathologic sequelae. Plasma levels of thromboxane (Tx) A2 and prostacyclin were measured via radioimmunoassay of their stable metabolites immunoreactive (i) TxB2 and i6-keto-PGF1 alpha in tolerant and nontolerant rats after endotoxin. Long-Evans rats were made tolerant to endotoxin by four daily IV injections of S enteritidis (endotoxin) (0.1, 0.5, 1, and 5 mg/kg). In normal rats (N = 15) given LPS (IV, 15 mg/kg), only 11% survived at 24 h; in contrast, tolerant rats (N = 13) all survived even at a dose of 50 mg/kg. At 1 h, after endotoxin (15 mg/kg) IV, plasma i6-keto-PGF1 alpha in nontolerant rats was 1,005 +/- 149 pg/ml (N = 14) and continued to rise to 4,209 +/- 757 pg/ml (N = 5) (P less than 0.001) after 4 h. In tolerant rats, given endotoxin (15 mg/kg), plasma i6-keto-PGF1 alpha at 1 h was 800 +/- 203 pg/ml (N = 5) and was not significantly different (734 +/- 254 pg/ml) at 4 h. Plasma iTxB2 at both 1 and 4 h was significantly (P less than 0.01) lower in tolerant than nontolerant rats. Both iTxB2 and i6-keto-PGF1 alpha were significantly (P less than 0.01) lower in tolerant rats given 50 mg/kg IV endotoxin than nontolerant rats. Endotoxin-induced elevation in fibrin degradation products was significantly decreased (P less than 0.05) during endotoxin tolerance although there was no difference in the severity of thrombocytopenia. These composite observations demonstrate that endotoxin tolerance in the rat is associated with altered arachidonic acid metabolism.