Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) a chemical component of cell wall of gram-negative bacteria, is an important mediator in pathogenesis of sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome. It causes production and release of a wide array of mediators including cytokines, chemokines, oxygen free radicals and nitric oxide from neutrophils, macrophages, endothelial cells and epithelial cells through the NF-£eB pathway. LPS increases the permeability of microcirculation, and causes the acute formation of numerous endothelial gaps among venular endothelial cells, resulting in extensive plasma leakage in the inflammatory tissue. Urethan is commonly used as an animal anesthetic for nonrecovery laboratory surgery. It is aslo an £\2-adrenoreceptor antagonist, which can suppress the activation of the cardiovascular system and reduce the angiotensin which increases the blood pressure. Urethan or its metabolites protect animals against LPS, in part, by reducing TNF-£\ release. The aims of the present study to investigate the time-course of vascular permeability in microcirculation of rat trachea, bronchus and esophagus after intravenous application of a high dose of LPS (15 mg/kg), and to reveal the role of urethan (1 g/¢V) and dimethylthiourea (DMTU, 0.375 g/¢V) in inhibition of LPS-induced plasma leakage and edema. India ink was used as a tracer dye to mark leaky microvessels after LPS application. Endothelial gaps were made visible for light microscopy by staining the borders of endothelial cells with silver nitrate. Tracheal sections were stained with toluidine blue to show the subendothelial edema formation. A high dose of LPS was administered intravenously to induce serious plasma leakage and edema and a large number of endothelial gaps formed in postcapillary and collecting venules in the rat trachea and esophagus. The peak values of plasma leakage and edema occurred 5 min after LPS (P<0.01). Urethan anesthesia significantly inhibited LPS-induced plasma leakage by 95 ¡Ó 1.7% in various parts of the respiratory tracts and inhibited edema ratio in the trachea by 57%. Urethan was also found to reduce leukocyte infiltration and the number of endothelial gaps by 46.8 ¡Ó 4.6%. DMTU pretreatment significantly inhibited plasma leakage by 88.5 ¡Ó 2.5% in the respiratory tract and inhibited edema ratio in the trachea by 89% at 5 min after LPS. It is concluded that LPS-induced increase in plasma leakage and edema correlated with the formation of endothelial gaps, and association with activation of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors and hydroxyl free radical production.