Loss of mesothelial electronegative fixed charges during murine septic peritonitis.

Previous studies showed that murine septic peritonitis induced a substantial reduction of the anionic site density distribution in mesenteric and diaphragmatic microvessels. The present study shows that acute experimental septic peritonitis induces a severe reduction of the anionic site density distribution along the submesothelial basement membrane. Five days after induction of peritonitis, there was a partial recovery of anionic sites which even at 13 days was not completed. This observation suggests that the increased protein losses observed during peritonitis are the consequence of increased microvascular and mesothelial permeability to anionic plasma proteins secondary to neutralization and/or disappearance of the anionic sites located in the microvascular wall and in the mesothelial layer.