Myocardial morphometric changes related to decreased contractility after endotoxin

Bacterial pathogens produce endotoxins that damage the heart by disrupting the contractile ability of cardiomuscular tissue. To determine whether the reduction in contractility is due to factors circulated in the blood, an isolated rabbit heart was supplied through a Langendorff column with blood from a rabbit treated with endotoxin. The isolated heart showed a abnormalities in muscle cells, interstitial edema and filling of the capillaries with leukocytes after five hours of endotoxin treatment.