Five apparently healthy male buffalo calves aged between 6 months to one year with body weight range of 70-140Kg were used in the present investigation. Endotoxic shock was produced by i.v. infusion of Escherichia coli endotoxin @5g/kg BW/hr for 3 hours and were further observed up to day four. Endotoxin infusion to the animals caused restlessness, respiratory distress, snoring, diarrhoea, profuse salivation along with the significant hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, hypokalemia and decrease in globulins. The treatment with HSS, flunixin meglumine and dextran – 40 to the affected calves significantly raised the circulating glucose level at 4.5 hr and fibrinogen at 6.5 hr and at day 2 of observation. A significant hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, hypokalemia, hypocalcaemia, hypophosphatemia, hyponatremia and decrease in globulin was found before and afters treatment. The plasma phosphorus and sodium showed a general non-significant change during endotoxin infusion but after treatment at 5.5 hr, plasma phosphorus and sodium level showed a significant decrease Four out of five endootoxemic buffalo calves died between day 3 to 4 of the observation period. The necropsy was performed on all dead animals. The gross lesions included haemorrhages, congestion and emphysema in lungs, haemorrhages in intestines, gall bladder and reddish discolouration of kidneys, Epicardial and sub-endocardial haemorrhages and mild catarrhal enteritis. Histopatholgically, the common findings in all the animals were congestion, haemorrhages, emphysema, mild interstitial pneumonia, sloughing of bronchiolar mucosa and hyaline membrane formation in the alveoli of lungs. Over all the lungs appeared to be like ‘shock lung’. Necrotic enteritis with mononuclear cell infilteration, congestion and lower nephron nephrosis in kidneys mild sinusoidal congestion and hepatocellular necrosis in liver were also found.. Wide spread gross and microscopic damage in most of the organs, particularly in lungs and heart indicated vascular collapse and hypoxia associated with endotoxemia resulting in the death of buffalo calves. Endotoxemia is a very common manifestation of gram negative sepsis and its treatment is elusive, therefore, this study assumes significance.
