Endotoxin Shock in the Subhuman Primate: II. Some Effects of Methylprednisolone Administration

The circulatory and biochemical effects of methylprednisolone sodium succinate (Solu-Medrol) in endotoxin shock were studied. The two most important effects of methylprednisolone in endotoxin shock appeared to be a decrease in peripheral resistance and the prevention of a drop in plasma volume. In the group receiving endotoxin alone, the aortic pressure, renal artery flow, cardiac output, and stroke volume showed a gradual decline but with methylprednisolone administration they were less pronounced. A rise in the blood lactic acid level was a consistent finding whether the animals received the steroid or not. This study suggests that glucocorticoids in pharmacologic doses appear to improve the cardiovascular status of the subhuman primate subjected to endotoxin shock.