Endotoxin-induced changes in the rabbit's blood picture.

The authors studied changes in the rabbit's blood picture in the first 24 hours after the administration of three different doses of endotoxin. The most pronounced changes were observed in the white blood component, particularly the granulocytes, which almost vanished from the blood stream immediately after the endotoxin was injected. In 24 hours granulocytopenia was succeeded by marked granulocytosis. Changes in the lymphocytes were smaller; the lymphocyte count fell slightly about 3 hours after the injection of endotoxin, but by 24 hours it was almost normal again. The platelet count also fell after the administration of endotoxin, but the red blood picture remained virtually the same.