Studies were performed in unanesthetized monkeys to determine if bradykinin infusions reproduce the circulatory events of early endotoxemia. Kinin infusions before and during autonomic ganglionic blockade with trimethaphan were significantly correlated (P<0.05) with decreases in mean arterial pressure. Kinin infusion at 15-18 //.g/kg min-1 produced 26 mm Hg fall in mean blood pressure at 3 min, due to fall in total peripheral resistance of 14 mm Hg/liter min-1 . Heart rate rose 23 beats/min. After 10 minutes of infusion, peripheral resistance had returned to base line, blood pressure remained low due to fall in cardiac output of 0.53 liters/min (P<0.01). Ganglionic blockade prevented recovery of resistance. Plasma bradykinin levels at 3 and 10 minutes were 14 and 15 ng/ml, respectively. Regional and systemic hemodynamic effects of kinin (15-18 /tg/kg min-1 ) were determined in 10 monkeys. After 10 minutes of infusion, bradykinin produced systemic effects. Regional flow measurement (by radioactive microsphere technique) demonstrated a pattern similar to that seen during hemorrhage. Ganglionic blockade lowered mean arterial pressure 33 mm Hg by generalized vasodilatation. Kinin infusion then resulted in further vasodilatation and fall in blood pressure of 12 mm Hg, and cardiac output of 0.74 liters/min. Regional flow distribution during combined infusion was similar to that seen during early endotoxemia. This study was supported in part by U. S. Public Health Service Grants HE 09964, GM 01791, and HE 06285.
KEYReceived April 8, 1971. Accepted for publication August 6, 1971. unusual pattern of systemic cardiovascular response has led to a search for vasodilators as trigger substances or mediators of these effects (8).Elevated levels of bradykinin have been found both in experimental endotoxemia in the monkey (9) and spontaneous sepsis in man (10-12). Changes in plasma bradykinin levels in vivo during experimental endotoxemia in the primate correlate with the appearance of the shock state (9), and endotoxin can activate at least two kin ingenerating systems in vitro (13). Bradykinin has been implicated, therefore, as one possible mediator of endotoxin shock in the primate.The experiments reported here were designed to study the effects of bradykinin on the circulation of the unanesthetized primate and to test whether bradykinin could mimic
368REICHGOTT, FORSYTH, MELMON the specific regional blood flow changes produced by endotoxin (7). An alternative mechanism for the sustained decrease of peripheral resistance during early endotoxemia is lack of effective reflex cardiovascular response to hypotension (14). To test this possibility, we also examined the regional and systemic hemodynamic changes occurring during autonomic ganglionic blockade before and during bradykinin infusion. A pattern of systemic and regional cardiovascular changes similar to that seen in the early endotoxin shock state was reproduced by bradykinin infusion only when reflex responses to hypotension had been inhibited by autonomic ner...