Endotoxemia model

The model

During experimental human endotoxemia, we challenge healthy human subjects with purified endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) intravenously which induces a short-lived, well-tolerated and controlled systemic inflammatory response, similar to that observed during sepsis. The human endotoxemia model can be conducted in a highly standardized and reproducible manner, using a carefully selected homogenous study population.

The model has proven to be safe, well-tolerated and without any known long-term health risks for the participating subjects. Intravenous endotoxin administration elicits a transient and controlled systemic inflammatory response, clinically characterized by an increase in core temperature of approximately 1.5–2 °C, flu-like symptoms (such as headache, chills, fatigue, myalgia, backache, and nausea) during 2–4 h, as well as hemodynamic alterations (tachycardia, tachypnea, and decrease in blood pressure).