title: Acute and long-term TNF-alpha administration increases pulmonary vascular reactivity in isolated rat lungs.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) causes pulmonary hypertension and arterial hypoxemia, but the mechanisms are unknown. We conducted two experiments to test the hypothesis that TNF-alpha alters pulmonary vascular reactivity, which in turn could cause either pulmonary hypertension or arterial hypoxemia. In experiment 1, rats were given acute or long-term injections of TNF-alpha (recombinant human) in vivo. Rats treated acutely received either saline or TNF-alpha (40 micrograms/kg iv in saline) 3 min (TNF-3 min; n = 8), 20 min (TNF-20 min; n = 8), or 24 h (TNF-24 h; n = 5) before the lungs were isolated. Rats treated chronically received injections of either saline or TNF-alpha (250 micrograms/kg ip in saline) two times per day for 7 days (TNF-7 days; n = 9). Lungs were isolated and perfused with Earle's salt solution (+2 g/l NaHCO3 + 4 g/100 ml Ficoll), and vascular reactivity was tested with acute hypoxia (3 min; 3% O2) and angiotensin II (ANG II; 0.025-0.40 micrograms). Pulmonary pressor responses to hypoxia were greater (P less than 0.05) in TNF-20 min and TNF-7 day groups. ANG II responses were increased (P less than 0.05) in TNF-7 day rats. In experiment 2, lungs were isolated and perfused and received direct pulmonary arterial injections of TNF-alpha (0.2, 2.0, and 20 micrograms) or saline, after stable responses to hypoxia and ANG II (0.10 microgram) were attained. Reactivity was not different between control and TNF-alpha rats before the injections, but TNF-alpha increased (P less than 0.05) responses to hypoxia and ANG II.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tucker
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000804:Angiotensin II