Hypoglycemia in lethal septic shock in subhuman primates

Recent research in this laboratory has documented progressively developing hypoglycemia in canine endotoxin shock. The purpose of the present study was to test these findings in a subhuman primate. Experiments were conducted on fasted baboons, anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital and infused with live Escherichia coli organisms (10¹⁰ organisms/kg). Six of seven baboons died within 26 hours with a mean survival time of 15 hours. Mean systemic pressures declined gradually after onset of organism infusion. An initial variable period of hyperglycemia was observed in six animals followed by 4 to 15 hours of progessively developing hypoglycemia in all nonsurviving animals. Insulin values in arterial blood decreased markedly within 4 hours after E. coli infusion and remained low (10 to 20% of control) in all nonsurviving animals. Arterial blood lactate and serum potassium rose progressively in animals demonstrating the greatest degree of systemic hypotension, whereas pH remained relatively constant until preterminal periods.