Figure 2

Timeline of the experimental protocol. Following surgical preparation and thirty minutes resting period, baseline measurements were performed. Subsequently, 100 ml of normal saline or 100 μg/kg of lipopolysaccharide were administered in a thirty minutes period. New measurements were obtained. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was induced and mechanical ventilation was discontinued. After three minutes of untreated VF, open chest CPR was performed manually and mechanical ventilation was resumed. Ten minutes after the induction of VF, defibrillation was attempted using 50 joules, followed by two minutes of open chest CPR. Defibrillation was performed again in case of remaining VF. Before the third defibrillation, the animals of group A and B received 1 mg EP whereas the piglets of group C received 0.4 U/kg AVP. The current guidelines for the treatment of cardiac arrest were followed, for the rest of the protocol.