Oxygen tension in the bladder epithelium rises in both high and low cardiac output endotoxemic sepsis. Rosser, D. M., R. P. Stidwill, D. Jacobson, and M Singer. Bloomsbury Institute of Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University College London Medical School, 2nd Floor, Rayne Institute Building, University Street, London WC1E 6JJ, UK.
APStracts 2:0305A, 1995.
The effect of endotoxin on tissue oxygen tension measured at the bladder epithelium was assessed in spontaneously breathing Sprague -Dawley rats anesthetised with halothane. Hyperdynamic (high cardiac output - Group A, n=6) and hypodynamic (low cardiac output - Group B, n=6) circulatory responses were achieved by intravenous administration of E.Coli lipopolysaccharide 10mg/kg over 30 mins or 20mg/kg over 1 min, respectively. Comparison was made against a sham operated control group (C, n=6). Aortic and renal blood flows increased in Group A and fell in B (p&LT0.001). However, in both groups, bladder epithelial oxygen tension rose significantly compared to control (p&LT0.01) despite an increasing metabolic acidosis. This is in contradistinction to previous studies of non-septic insults where bladder epithelial oxygen tension fell in line with an increasing arterial base deficit. If a raised tissue oxygen tension could be demonstrated in other organ beds, this would suggest that decreased utilisation of oxygen rather than reduced tissue oxygen availability is responsible for the apparent anaerobic respiration seen in sepsis. 

Received 8 March 1995; accepted in final form 3 July 1995.
APS Manuscript Number A263-5.
Article publication pending Journal of Applied Physiology.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 18 July 1995.