Decrease by naloxone of some electrocardiographic and biochemical changes following endotoxin induced shock in rats.

Administration of endotoxin, a lipopolysaccharide extracted from cell walls of gram negative bacteria, elicited alterations in various metabolic parameters and in the electrocardiogram of rats. Cardiac glycogen and serum glucose were decreased, while serum pyruvate and acid phosphatase levels were increased. There was initial tachycardia followed by significant bradycardia and elevation of the ST segment in the animals with shock. Erythrocyte count, haemoglobin and haematocrit were not changed after shock. Treatment with naloxone caused significant decreases in the metabolic and electrocardiographic changes induced by endotoxin.