Blood
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Rabbits were given polyclonal anti-tissue factor (TF) immunoglobulin G (IgG) before an injection of endotoxin to test the hypothesis that TF triggers disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) after endotoxin. The rabbits had been prepared with cortisone to develop DIC after one injection of endotoxin. Anti-TF IgG substantially reduced the falls in fibrinogen, factors V and VIII, and platelets noted in control rabbits given preimmune IgG before endotoxin. ⋯ All animals given endotoxin became ill with cyanosis, tachypnea, cold ears, and diarrhea, regardless of whether they had received anti-TF IgG to attenuate DIC. Infusion of TF caused some animals to die acutely with pulmonary arterial thromboses, but surviving animals did not appear ill. The findings support the hypothesis that exposure of blood to TF triggers DIC after endotoxin, but is not important for the pathogenesis of endotoxin-induced shock.