STUDIES ON T H E GENERALIZED SHWARTZMAN REACTION VIII . Tm~ APPEARANCE, BY ELECTRON MICROSCOPY, OF INTRAVASCULAR FIBRINOH) IN THE GLOMERULAR CAPILLARIES DURING THE REACTION* BY

The generalized Shwartzman reaction is produced in rabbits by the intravenous administration of two successive doses of endotoxin derived from Gram-negative bacteria, spaced approximately 24 hours apart; the characteristic lesion which identifies the reaction is bilateral cortical necrosis of the kidneys. This lesion results from occlusion of the glomerular capillaries by masses of homogeneous, eosinophilic material with the staining properties of fibrinoid, which appear in the lumen of these vessels within a few hours after the second injection of endotoxin. Similar material is deposited in the vessels in other visceral organs, in association with necrotizing and hemorrhagic lesions (1, 2).