Early effects of endotoxin on tissue phosphagen levels in skeletal muscle and liver of the dog.

The effects of a bolus injection of gram-negative endotoxin (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) on the high energy phosphate and glycogenolytic metabolite levels of skeletal muscle and liver were studied in dogs. After endotoxin injection there was a sharp increase in the G-6-P and lactate levels within 5--15 min, especially in muscle, followed by an additional but much slower increase of these metabolites during the next 2 h. The CrP and ATP levels were also increased in skeletal muscle early after the endotoxin injection and the levels of these high energy phosphate compounds were still, 2 h after endotoxin, higher than those in control animals. In the liver an early gluconeogenetic response was observed. The results indicate that tissue hypoxia and a consequent exhaustion of tissue high energy phosphate compounds do not occur during the initial period of endotoxin shock. The increased high energy phosphate levels are probably partly caused by sympathicoadrenal stimulation but direct endotoxin effects at the cell membrane level may also play an important role.