Splanchnic arteries were clamped for 45 min to induce splanchnic artery occlusion (SAO) shock in anesthetized rats. Sham-operated animals were used as controls. Survival time, serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), white blood cell (WBC) count, mean arterial blood pressure, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and serum levels of soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) were investigated. SAO-shocked rats exhibited decreased survival time (95 +/- 11 min, whereas sham-shocked rats survived for > 5 h), reduced mean arterial blood pressure, increased serum levels of TNF-alpha (185 +/- 8 U/ml) and MPO activity in the ileum (0.11 +/- 0.03 U x 10(-3)/g tissue) and lung (1.5 +/- 0.4 U x 10(-3)/g tissue), leukopenia, and enhanced serum levels of sE-selectin. Furthermore SAO-shocked rats showed histological alterations in the ileum and lung. Administration of cloricromene (2 mg/kg i.v.), an inhibitor of TNF-alpha, significantly increased survival time (225 +/- 10 min), decreased serum levels of TNF-alpha and sE-selectin, reduced leukopenia and MPO activity in the ileum (0.035 +/- 0.003 U x 10(-3)/g tissue) and lung (0.3 +/- 0.005 U x 10(-3)/g tissue), improved the cardiovascular changes, and reduced the histological changes in the ileum and lung. Finally, an anti-E-selectin antibody protected rats against SAO shock. Our findings are consistent with an involvement of E-selectin, "in vivo," in the pathogenesis of SAO shock.