Extracorporeal circulation does not induce intra-alveolar release of Endothelin 1, but only a modest overproduction in pulmonary circulation.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether ECC may produce regional liberation of inflammatory mediators capable of inducing vascular effects and organ damage.


METHODS
Comparative study [corrected].


METHODS
Cardiac surgery department in a University hospital.


METHODS
Fifteen patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG, group A) and ten patients operated for infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (controls, group B) have been studied.


METHODS
Levels of Interleukin 1beta (IL1), Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF), Interleukin 6 (IL6), and Endothelin 1 (ET1) were measured in pulmonary capillary, arterial, and venous blood and in bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) before, during and after extracorporeal circulation (ECC) or surgical intervention.


RESULTS
TNF-alpha (never >35 pg/ml) and IL1beta (range 20-300 pg/ml) values did not change over time for both groups. IL6 concentrations in all samples of group A increased between five and twenty fold, during and after ECC (from 3-5 pg/ml up to 240 pg/ml, p<0.001). This trend was similar in controls after surgical stress. Endothelin 1 was always undetectable in the BAL fluid, with a modest, but significant increase in pulmonary capillary blood of group A, after ECC, (from 11+/-4 pg/ml to 18+/-5 pg/ml, p<0.001). This increment correlated well with the PVR increase, but was transient and after 24 hours, ET1 values returned to baseline levels. Mean values of ET1 increased also in controls, but not significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
ECC may induce ET1 liberation in pulmonary circulation with transient pulmonary vasoconstriction, but wihout intra-alveolar release, or lung damage. Augmented concentrations of IL6 probably express a response to surgical procedure rather than an effect exclusively related to ECC.
Antonelli
M
M
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
Letizia
C
C
Tritapepe
L
L
Raponi
G M
GM
Ghezzi
M C
MC
Menichetti
A
A
Ruvolo
G
G
Riccioni
L
L
Deblasi
R A
RA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000098:blood supply*; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D019332:Endothelin-1; D007375:Interleukin-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha