Influence of dextran on blood clearance and organ distribution of radiolabelled E. coli and on survival in experimental E. coli septicemia

Previous reports indicated impaired function of the reticuloendothelial system following administration of dextran. In the present experimental study, intravenous injection of Escherichia coli resulted in four deaths among 15 rats pretreated with i.v. dextran 70, but none in 15 controls (p less than 0.05). To evaluate the influence of dextran on bacterial clearance from blood and distribution in organs, 125I-labelled, heat-killed E. coli was injected 1 or 24 hours following i.v. injection of 1.0 ml sterile saline solution or 1.0 ml dextran 70. After both of these intervals, dextran resulted in significant (p less than 0.05) decrease of blood clearance compared with the controls. The organ distribution in counts/minute (cpm)/g tissue was compared in liver, spleen and lungs. Splenic uptake was reduced at both times following dextran administration, while there was increase in pulmonary uptake at 1 hour and in hepatic uptake at 24 hours post-dextran (p less than 0.005 and p less than 0.02, respectively). Evaluation of cpm/total organ weight showed no change after dextran injection, except for increased (p less than 0.05) pulmonary uptake after 1 hour.