Disseminated intravascular coagulation and experimental disease models in pregnancy.

The feeding of a diet containing oxidized lipids and low in vitamin E to pregnant rats induced the generalized Shwartzman reaction. The etiologic factor or factors can be concentrated by molecular distillation of the oxidized lipid. The addition of large amounts of tocopherol prevents the appearance of the disease. Oral administration of antibotics reduces the incidence of the disease by a factor of four. Pathological changes in the placenta consist of degeneration of the trophoblast, thrombosis and fibrin deposition in maternal vascular spaces, congestion of maternal blood spaces, hemorrhage into the uterine cavity, placental separation, intrauterin fetal death, decidual or uterine vein thrombosis, placentitis (10% of the cases), and fetal resorption.