Role of free oxygen radicals in the development of gastrointestinal mucosal damage in Escherichia coli sepsis.

Live Escherichia coli were infused into anesthetized cats given 0.6 ml bile/kg and 80 mM HCl into the stomach. Systemic and pulmonary arterial blood pressures, cardiac output, and gastric blood flow were monitored. Gastrointestinal total wall and mucosal blood flow were measured by microspheres. The microscopic mucosal damage was graded 0-4 (stomach) or 0-5 (intestine). One group of cats (N = 8) received 5 mg yeast CuZn superoxide dismutase (SOD) as a bolus before bacteria followed by infusion 50 mg/3 hr. Four of these cats were also given catalase in the same dose. Controls (N = 8) had no treatment. After 3 hr gastric ulceration (grades 2-4) was found in controls but only in 50% of treated cats (P less than 0.1). About 50% and 25% of the cats in both groups developed significant small intestinal and colonic mucosal damage, respectively. SOD or SOD/catalase had no effect on late systemic hypotension, decrease in cardiac output, or transient increase in pulmonary pressure. Total gastric blood flow did not change, while at late sepsis gastric mucosal flow was decreased in the treated group. Small intestinal mucosal flow decreased in both series. It is concluded that free oxygen radicals may be of partial importance in the development of sepsis-induced gastric, but not intestinal, mucosal damage.