Effect of indomethacin on the blood pressure and plasma catecholamine responses to acute endotoxaemia.

Injection of E. coli endotoxin (7 mg kg-1 i.v.) to pentobarbitone anaesthetized cats resulted in prolonged decrease of systemic blood pressure and increases in plasma concentrations of adrenaline, noradrenaline and 6-ketoprostaglandin (PG) F 1 alpha. Indomethacin pretreatment (10 mg kg-1 i.v.) attenuated the decrease in blood pressure following endotoxin injection. Plasma adrenaline, noradrenaline and 6-keto-PG F1 alpha were significantly lower in the indomethacin-treated cats. These data indicate that the superior haemodynamic status of the indomethacin pretreated animals exposed to endotoxic shock is not the result of potentiation of the peripheral sympathetic response.