Role of prostaglandins in determining the increased cardiac sympathetic nerve activity in ovine sepsis

Abstract

Effective treatment of sepsis remains a significant challenge in intensive care units. During sepsis, there is widespread activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which is thought to have both beneficial and detrimental effects. The sympathoexcitation is thought to be partly due to the developing hypotension, but may also be a response to the inflammatory mediators released. Thus, we investigated whether intracarotid infusion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) induced similar cardiovascular changes to those caused by intravenous infusion of Escherichia coli in sheep and whether inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, with the nonselective cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin, administered at 2 ..