A new model for the continuous monitoring of polymorphonuclear leukocyte trapping in the pulmonary vasculature of the rabbit.
BACKGROUND
Accumulation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) within the pulmonary vasculature contributes to the pathophysiology of a number of diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The techniques available to study this have their limitations.


METHODS
We have developed a minimally invasive technique for the continuous monitoring of 111In-labelled PMNs (111In-PMNs) in the thoracic and groin regions of rabbits. The effects of intravenous injection of the chemoattractants, interleukin (IL)-8, leukotriene (LT) B(4), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were studied.


RESULTS
Intravenous injection of LTB(4), IL-8, or LPS caused an accumulation of 111In-PMNs in the lung and a concomitant decrease in counts in the leg and caused no significant change from baseline in counts in the lung or the leg after injection of 111In-labelled red blood cells (RBCs).


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, we have demonstrated a technique that is simple, reproducible, and robust, which can be used to investigate PMN trapping in the lung vasculature in response to well characterised PMN chemoattractants and that may be applied to the preclinical study of new drugs.
Sackler Institute of Pulmonary Pharmacology, GKT School of Biomedical Sciences, King's College London, 5th Floor Hodgkin Building, Guy's Campus, London, SE1 9RT, UK. helenie.jones@kcl.ac.uk
Helen
H
Jones
William
W
Paul
Clive P
CP
Page
D000818:Animals; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000502:physiology; D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D007553:Isotope Labeling; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007975:Leukotriene B4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology*; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits
D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D016209:Interleukin-8; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D007975:Leukotriene B4