Table 1.

Main characteristics of young rats and senescent rats treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or saline

	Young rats (3 months old)			Senescent rats (24 months old)
	Control group (n = 9)	LPS 0.5 mg/kg group (n = 12)	LPS 5 mg/kg group (n = 9)	Control group (n = 13)	LPS 0.5 mg/kg group (n = 16)
Initial body weight (g)	315 ± 3	331 ± 8	331 ± 5	451 ± 26	459 ± 15
ΔBW (g)	-1 ± 1	-18 ± 2*	-11 ± 3*	-2 ± 2	-16 ± 2*
Liver (g)	12.1 ± 0.8	10.9 ± 0.4	10.1 ± 0.3*	10.9 ± 0.7	9.2 ± 0.4*
Lung (g)	1.30 ± 0.03	1.46 ± 0.04*	1.45 ± 0.03*	4.14 ± 0.47	6.07 ± 0.60*
Heart weight (g)	0.98 ± 0.02	1.09 ± 0.05*	1.10 ± 0.02*	1.34 ± 0.10	1.60 ± 0.10*
Left ventricular weight (g)	0.78 ± 0.02	0.83 ± 0.03	0.85 ± 0.02	1.00 ± 0.07	1.11 ± 0.06

Values are the mean ± standard error of the mean. ΔBW, body weight 12 hours after treatment - initial body weight. *P < 0.05 versus respective control (saline-injected) group.