Abstract
Summary
Limb ischemia produced by bilateral hind limb tourniquets in rats results in 100% mortality in intact animals within 11 hours after removal of the tourniquet. It has been suggested that one factor contributing to the demise of the animals is the production of toxic factors from the hy-peremic gut. We tested this hypothesis by eviscerating normal and adrenalectomized rats either before or after the application of the tourniquet. Evisceration itself was tolerated for a 24-hour period. Evisceration, however, had no significant effect on survival time of tourniquet stressed animals. It is, therefore, unlikely that factors produced by the gut in the intact or adrenalectomized animal contributes significantly to the life threatening effects of tourniquet shock.
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