Mucosal lesions in the feline small intestine in septic shock.

The incidence and possible pathogenic mechanisms in the development of small intestinal mucosal lesions in experimental septic shock were investigated in cats. Mucosal lesions were found in 50% of the animals following a standardized bacteremia, and 15% had pronounced mucosal damage. The development of these lesions was not correlated with intestinal vasoconstriction or to portal hypertension but with decreased systemic arterial blood pressure during the last hour of the experiments. The correlation between mucosal damage and arterial hypotension in septic shock supports the view that these lesions are caused by hypoxia secondary to an increased efficiency in the countercurrent exchange mechanisms of oxygen in the villi.