Vancomycin and to lesser extent tobramycin have vasomodulatory effects in experimental endotoxemia in the rat.

Background: Antibiotic treatment represents a key component of therapy for severe sepsis. Apart from their antimicrobial efficacy, when choosing antibiotics in septic conditions, vasomodulatory effects should also be taken into account.

Objectives: Aim of this study was to evaluate the vasomodulatory effects of vancomycin (VANCO) and tobramycin (TOBRA) in experimental endotoxemia by using intravital microscopy (IVM) of the intestinal microcirculation and measurements of the arterial contractility in vitro.

Thermostatic tissue platform for intravital microscopy: 'the hanging drop' model.

Intravital microscopy imposes the particular problem of the combined control of the body temperature of the animal and the local temperature of the observed organ or tissues. We constructed and tested, in the rat ileum microcirculation preparation, a new organ-support platform. The platform consisted of an organ bath filled with physiological solution, and contained a suction tube, a superfusion tube, an intestine-support hand that was attached to a micromanipulator and a thermometer probe.