Increased plasma endothelin-1 concentrations in E. coli septic peritonitis rats with diabetes mellitus.

To study the diabetic mellitus (DM) patient's reaction to sepsis, we investigated the survival rate, the bacteremia, plasma endotoxin and plasma endothelin-1 levels in E. coli septic peritonitis rats with or without streptozotocin-induced DM. No significant difference could be detected between the DM and nondiabetic rats in the survival rate, the bacteremia level or the plasma endotoxin level. The DM rat manifested a significant increase compared to the nondiabetic rat in the plasma endothelin-1 level four hours after the outbreak of peritonitis. Endothelin-1 may thus play some role in the E. coli septic peritonitis rat with DM.