Prolonged leukocyte transit time in coronary microcirculation of endotoxemic pigs

Administration of endotoxin in a pig model of hyperdynamic sepsis reduces myocardial leukocyte transit by 5-40 s thereby retaining 2 x 10 to the power 9 leukocytes in coronary microcirculation. The leukocytes are retained in the capillaries and not in the postcapillary venules. The number and position of retained myocardial leukocytes is determined by postmortem morphometric analysis.