title: Neutrophils in reexpansion pulmonary edema.
abstract: This study investigated the possible contribution of neutrophils to development of reexpansion pulmonary edema (RPE) in rabbits. Rabbits' right lungs were collapsed for 7 days and then reexpanded with negative intrathoracic pressure for 2 h before study, a model that creates unilateral edema in the reexpanded lungs but not in contralateral left lungs. Two hours after lung reexpansion, significant increases in lavage albumin concentration (17-fold), percent neutrophils (14-fold), and total number of neutrophils (7-fold) recovered occurred in the reexpanded lung but not in the left. After 2 h of reexpansion increased leukotriene B4 was detected in lavage supernatant from right lungs (335 +/- 33 pg/ml) compared with the left (110 +/- 12 pg/mg, P less than 0.01), and right lung lavage acid phosphatase activity similarly increased (6.67 +/- 0.35 U/l) compared with left (4.73 +/- 0.60 U/l, P less than 0.05). Neutropenia induced by nitrogen mustard (17 +/- 14 greater than neutrophils/microliters) did not prevent RPE, because reexpanded lungs from six neutropenic rabbits were edematous (wet-to-dry lung weight ratio 6.34 +/- 0.43) compared with their contralateral lungs (4.97 +/- 0.04, P less than 0.01). An elevated albumin concentration in reexpanded lung lavage from neutropenic rabbits (8-fold) confirmed an increase in permeability. Neutrophil depletion before reexpansion did not prevent unilateral edema, although neutrophils were absent from lung sections and alveolar lavage fluid from neutropenic rabbits.
authors.affiliation: Birmingham Veterans Administration Medical Center 35233.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Veal
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Brannen
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fulmer
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D007975:Leukotriene B4 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000150:complications; D009504:Neutrophils; D010539:Permeability; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000166:cytology; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D007975:Leukotriene B4; D000135:Acid Phosphatase