Protective ventilation of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. (73/841)

The majority of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) require mechanical ventilation. This support provides time for the lungs to heal, but the adverse effects of mechanical ventilation significantly influence patient outcome. Traditionally, these were ascribed to mechanical effects, such as haemodynamic compromise from decreased venous return or gross air leaks induced by large transpulmonary pressures. More recently, however, the ARDS Network study has established the clinical importance of lowering the tidal volume to limit overdistension of the lung when ventilating patients with ARDS. This study suggests that ventilator-associated lung injury (VALI) caused by overdistension of the lung contributes to the mortality of patients with ARDS. Moreover, the results from clinical and basic research have revealed more subtle types of VALI, including upregulation of the inflammatory response in the injured and overdistended lung. This not only damages the lung, but the overflow of inflammatory mediators into the systemic circulation may explain why most patients who die with ARDS succumb to multi-organ failure rather than respiratory failure. The results of these studies, the present understanding of the pathophysiology of VALI, and protective ventilatory strategies are reviewed.  (+info)

Role of crosslinked protein in lung injury following total body irradiation and bone marrow transplantation. (74/841)

The aberrant protein crosslinks formation during lung injury as results total body irradiation (TBI) and bone marrow transplantation (BMT) therapy has been examined as apossible contributory factor in organ or tissue pathogenesis. Female C3HeB/ FeJ mice were used for an experimental animal. Carbon monoxide uptake (V(CO)) was measured at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 months after TBI at respective doses of 12, 14, 16 and 18 Gy 16 h prior to syngeneic BMT. Also as a measure of aberrant protein crosslinking in the inured tissues, transglutaminase (TGase)-activities and crosslinked protein were examined along with thrombin, a protease known to activate TGases. Reductions of VCO were detected following TBI and BMT. Activities of thrombin and TGase 1, and crosslinked protein in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of the mice 1 wk after TBI at 12 Gy and BMT were identified and found to be elevated in the treated animals. These findings suggest that elevated levels of crosslinked proteins and TGase I in the bronchoalveolar larvage during the lung injury could have enhanced the organ pathogenesis following TBI and BMT.  (+info)

Effects of propofol on endotoxin-induced acute lung injury in rabbit. (75/841)

This study was undertaken to clarify the effects of propofol on endotoxin-induced acute lung injury. Rabbits were randomly assigned to one of four groups. Each group received intravenous infusion of saline only, saline and Escherichia coli endotoxin, propofol (1 mg/kg bolus, then 5 mg/kg/hr) and endotoxin, or propofol (4 mg/kg bolus, then 20 mg/kg/hr) and endotoxin respectively. Infusion of saline or propofol was started 0.5 hr before the infusion of saline or endotoxin, and continued for 6 hr thereafter. The lungs of rabbits were ventilated with 40% oxygen. Mean blood pressure, heart rate, arterial oxygen tension (PaO2), and peripheral blood leukocyte and platelet count were recorded. The wet/dry (W/D) weight ratio of lung and lung injury score were measured, and analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was done. Endotoxin decreased PaO2, and peripheral blood leukocyte and platelet count. And it increased W/D ratio of lung, lung injury score and leukocyte count, percentage of PMN cells, concentration of albumin, thromboxane B2 and IL-8 in BALF. Propofol attenuated all these changes except the leukocyte count in peripheral blood. In conclusion, propofol attenuated endotoxin-induced acute lung injury in rabbits mainly by inhibiting neutrophil and IL-8 responses, which may play a central role in sepsis-related lung injury.  (+info)

Pressure gradient, not exposure duration, determines the extent of epithelial cell damage in a model of pulmonary airway reopening. (76/841)

The reduction of tidal volume during mechanical ventilation has been shown to reduce mortality of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, but epithelial cell injury can still result from mechanical stresses imposed by the opening of occluded airways. To study these stresses, a fluid-filled parallel-plate flow chamber lined with epithelial cells was used as an idealized model of an occluded airway. Airway reopening was modeled by the progression of a semi-infinite bubble of air through the length of the channel, which cleared the fluid. In our laboratory's prior study, the magnitude of the pressure gradient near the bubble tip was directly correlated to the epithelial cell layer damage (Bilek AM, Dee KC, and Gaver DP III. J Appl Physiol 94: 770-783, 2003). However, in that study, it was not possible to discriminate the stress magnitude from the stimulus duration because the bubble propagation velocity varied between experiments. In the present study, the stress magnitude is modified by varying the viscosity of the occlusion fluid while fixing the reopening velocity across experiments. This approach causes the stimulus duration to be inversely related to the magnitude of the pressure gradient. Nevertheless, cell damage remains directly correlated with the pressure gradient, not the duration of stress exposure. The present study thus provides additional evidence that the magnitude of the pressure gradient induces cellular damage in this model of airway reopening. We explore the mechanism for acute damage and also demonstrate that repeated reopening and closure is shown to damage the epithelial cell layer, even under conditions that would not lead to extensive damage from a single reopening event.  (+info)

Myeloperoxidase deficiency enhances inflammation after allogeneic marrow transplantation. (77/841)

Myeloperoxidase (MPO)-derived oxidants participate in the respiratory antimicrobial defense system but are also implicated in oxidant-mediated acute lung injury. We hypothesized that MPO contributes to lung injury commonly observed after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). MPO-sufficient (MPO+/+) and -deficient (MPO-/-) mice were given cyclophosphamide and lethally irradiated followed by infusion of inflammation-inducing donor spleen T cells at time of BMT. Despite suppressed generation of nitrative stress, MPO-/- recipient mice unexpectedly exhibited accelerated weight loss and increased markers of lung dysfunction compared with MPO+/+ mice. The increased lung injury during MPO deficiency was a result of donor T cell-dependent inflammatory responses because bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) from MPO-/- mice contained increased numbers of inflammatory cells and higher levels of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha and the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 compared with wild-type mice. Enhanced inflammation in MPO-/- mice was associated with suppressed apoptosis of BALF inflammatory cells. The inflammatory process in MPO-/- recipients was also associated with enhanced necrosis of freshly isolated alveolar type II cells, critical for preventing capillary leak. We conclude that suppressed MPO-derived oxidative/nitrative stress is associated with enhanced lung inflammation and persistent alveolar epithelial injury.  (+info)

Dependence of lung injury on inflation rate during low-volume ventilation in normal open-chest rabbits. (78/841)

Lung mechanics and morphometry were assessed in two groups of nine normal open-chest rabbits mechanically ventilated (MV) for 3-4 h at zero end-expiratory pressure (ZEEP) with physiological tidal volumes (Vt; 11 ml/kg) and high (group A) or low (group B) inflation flow (44 and 6.1 ml x kg(-1) x s(-1), respectively). Relative to initial MV on positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP; 2.3 cmH(2)O), MV on ZEEP increased quasi-static elastance and airway and viscoelastic resistance more in group A (+251, +393, and +225%, respectively) than in group B (+180, +247, and +183%, respectively), with no change in viscoelastic time constant. After restoration of PEEP, quasi-static elastance and viscoelastic resistance returned to control, whereas airway resistance, still relative to initial values, remained elevated more in group A (+86%) than in group B (+33%). In contrast, prolonged high-flow MV on PEEP had no effect on lung mechanics of seven open-chest rabbits (group C). Gas exchange on PEEP was equally preserved in all groups, and the lung wet-to-dry ratios were normal. Relative to group C, both groups A and B had an increased percentage of abnormal alveolar-bronchiolar attachments and number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in alveolar septa, the latter being significantly larger in group A than in group B. Thus prolonged MV on ZEEP with cyclic opening-closing of peripheral airways causes alveolar-bronchiolar uncoupling and parenchymal inflammation with concurrent, persistent increase in airway resistance, which are worsened by high-inflation flow.  (+info)

Isolation of highly pure alveolar epithelial type I and type II cells from rat lungs. (79/841)

There are no ideal cell lines available for alveolar epithelial type I and II cells (AEC I and II) at the present time. The current methods for isolating AEC I and II give limited purities. Here, we reported improved and reproducible methods for the isolation of highly pure AEC I and II from rat lungs. AEC I and II were released from lung tissues using different concentrations of elastase digestion. Macrophages and leukocytes were removed by rat IgG 'panning' and anti-rat leukocyte common antigen antibodies. For AEC II isolation, polyclonal rabbit anti-T1alpha (an AEC I apical membrane protein) antibodies were used to remove AEC I contamination. For AEC I isolation, positive immunomagnetic selection by polyclonal anti-T1alpha antibodies was used. The purities of AEC I and II were 91 +/- 4 and 97 +/- 1%, respectively. The yield per rat was approximately 2 x 10(6) for AEC I and approximately 33 x 10(6) for AEC II. The viabilities of these cell preparations were more than 96%. The protocol for AEC II isolation is also suitable to obtain pure AEC II (93-95%) from hyperoxia-injured and recovering lungs. The purified AEC I and II can be used for gene expression profiling and functional studies. It also offers an important tool to the field of lung biology.  (+info)

Effect of dose-rate and lung dose in total body irradiation on interstitial pneumonitis after bone marrow transplantation. (80/841)

The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of interstitial pneumonitis following fractionated total body irradiation conditioning for bone marrow transplantation with varying lung doses due to shielding technique and different dose-rates. Between 1987 and 2001, a total number of 105 patients have received total body irradiation conditioning for bone marrow transplantation for hematological malignancies at Gulhane Military Medical School. Twelve Gy fractionated total body irradiation was delivered in 6 fractions over 3 consecutive days with Co-60 teletherapy machine. Conditioning therapy included only cyclophosphamide (60 mg/ kg/day for two days) and total body irradiation. The median follow-up for patients was 12 months. Interstitial pneumonitis developed in 10 patients out of 105 patients (9.52%). The median total dose to lung was 9.60 Gy (8.88-10.90). The difference between total lung dose and interstitial pneumonitis was not significant. Pneumonitis development in the high dose-rate (>0.04 Gy/min) group versus low dose-rate (< or =0.04 Gy/min) group was statistically significant. Low dose-rate fractionated total body irradiation is a reliable conditioning program in bone marrow transplantation with effective lung sparing to avoid interstitial pneumonitis.  (+info)