Hypertonic colloid solutions have been found efficacious in the resuscitation from hemorrhagic/traumatic shock. The present study investigated the hemodynamic, gasometric, and metabolic effects of hypertonic colloids in endotoxic shock in the dog. Thirty minutes after administration of 3 mg/kg normal body weight of Escherichia coli endotoxin, dogs were randomly assigned to receive 10 mL/kg hydroxyethylstarch (HES) either in 0.9% NaCl (HES, 10 dogs) or in 7.5% NaCl (HT-HES, 10 dogs) in 30 min. Thereafter, 0.9% NaCl solution was administered in volumes adequate to maintain pulmonary artery balloon-occluded pressure at baseline levels. Total fluid administered averaged 64 +/- 30 mL/kg (mean +/- SD) in the HES group and 73 +/- 34 mL/kg in the HT-HES group. As these differences were not statistically significant, total sodium load was higher in the HT-HES group. The persistent volume effect was associated with persistently lower hematocrit and protein levels in the HT-HES group. Initial fluid resuscitation with HT-HES resulted in arterial pressure, cardiac filling pressures, cardiac output, stroke volume, and rates of oxygen delivery and oxygen consumption that were greater than those with HES. Vascular resistances were similar. Analysis of left ventricular function curves also indicated an improvement in cardiac performance. However, these effects almost completely vanished during the remainder of the study. In the HT-HES group, serum sodium and osmolality levels increased to 167 +/- 4 mEq/L and 344 +/- 4 mOsm/kg H2O, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)