Endotoxin in the conscious piglet: Its effects on some general and gastrointestinal myoelectrical parameters

The effect of an intravenous bolus injection of endotoxin, 0.1, 1 or 10 μg/kg, on rectal temperature, clinical appearance, haematological parameters, and on gastrointestinal electrical activity was examined in 11 conscious piglets of 4–5 weeks of age, with implanted electrodes in the antrum pylori, duodenum, jejunum and ileum. All doses resulted in a significant and dose-dependent increase in rectal temperature, in pronounced clinical signs and in distinct changes in haematological values. These included shivering, depression, respiratory distress, a leukopenia (0.1 μg/kg) or a leukocytosis (1 μg/kg) with a shift to the left, an accelerated sedimentation rate and a decreased packed cell volume. Doses of 1 and 10 μg/kg induced a transient inhibition of gastroduodenal electrical activity. These results suggest that, in the piglet, endotoxin primarily manifests general clinical signs and that the gastrointestinal effects coincide with these.