Adrenalectomized animals are extremely sensitive to endotoxin and die quickly when given small doses. A six hour administration of the corticosteroid, methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS), combined with the antibiotic, gentamicin sulfate (GS), promotes complete recovery of dogs with intact adrenals administered LD100 E. coli. The aim of the present study was to determine if this early administered treatment would protect adrenalectomized dogs from overwhelming lethal doses of E. coli. Dogs were infused with MPSS from fifteen minutes to six hours after the onset of E. coli administration and with GS after administration of all E. coli. Animals given only E. coli died in 2.6 (+/- 0.3) hours, while those given no E. coli, or E. coli plus steroid/antibiotic, survived longer than 100 hours. Arterial pressure, pH, pO2, hematocrit, lactate, and glucose concentrations were maintained near control values in animals receiving steroid/antibiotic infusions. Adrenalectomized dogs infused with corticosteroid/antibiotic recovered completely from shock even though the treatment period was limited to the first 6 hours after lethal E. coli infusion. Findings indicate that animals treated with MPSS/GS after E. coli ultimately succumbed to adrenal insufficiency rather than from the E. coli insult and thus recovery from shock itself was complete.