Effects of different doses of dexamethasone plus flunixin meglumine on survival rate in lethal endotoxemia

Effects of different doses of dexamethasone plus flunixin meglumine on survival rate were investigated in lethal endotoxemia. A total of 60 Balb/C female mice were divided into 4 equal groups. Lethal endotoxemia (80-100%) was induced by lipopolysaccharide injection (Group 1, 1 mg, intraperinoneally). At 4 hours after the lipopolysaccharide injection; low-dose dexamethasone (0.6 mg/kg, SID, 5 days, intramuscularly) + flunixin meglumine (2 mg/kg, SID, 5 days, subcutaneously), normal-dose dexamethasone (2 mg/kg, SID, 5 days, intramuscularly) + flunixin meglumine (2 mg/kg, SID, 5 days, subcutaneously) and high-dose dexamethasone (10 mg/kg, SID, 5 days, intramuscularly) + flunixin meglumine (2 mg/kg, SID, 5 days, subcutaneously) were injected to Group 2, 3 and 4, respectively. After the injections, survival was monitored at 7 days and 13.3%, 13.3%, 33.3% and 73.3% survival rates were observed in Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. As results, high-dose dexamethasone plus flunixin meglumine may be the treatment of choice for endotoxaemia in animals