Protective effects of isoflurane pretreatment in endotoxin-induced lung injury.
BACKGROUND
The concept of antiinflammatory effects of volatile anesthetics is well established in vitro and in some organ systems. Their protective role in lung injury, however, remains to be elucidated. The authors hypothesized that in the lung, isoflurane pretreatment may attenuate neutrophil infiltration and reduce endotoxin-induced injury.


METHODS
Male C57Bl/6 mice were exposed to aerosolized lipopolysaccharide. Neutrophil recruitment into the pulmonary vasculature and migration into the different lung compartments (interstitium and alveolar air space) were determined by flow cytometry. Capillary protein leakage, formation of lung edema, and concentration of the chemokines keratinocyte-derived chemokine (CXCL1) and macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (CXCL2/3) in bronchoalveolar lavage were compared in mice with or without isoflurane treatment (1.4% inspired for 30 min) at different times before and after endotoxin exposure.


RESULTS
Endotoxin inhalation induced significant neutrophil migration into all lung compartments. Isoflurane pretreatment attenuated both neutrophil recruitment into lung interstitium and alveolar space when given 1 or 12 h before or 1 h after lipopolysaccharide but not at 4, 6, or 24 h before endotoxin exposure. Isoflurane pretreatment 1 or 12 h before lipopolysaccharide also reduced protein leakage and pulmonary edema. Production of CXCL1 and CXCL2/3 in the bronchoalveolar lavage was reduced when isoflurane was given 1 h but not 12 h before lipopolysaccharide, suggesting different mechanisms for early and late protection.


CONCLUSIONS
Isoflurane pretreatment reduces acute lung injury when given 1 or 12 h before an endotoxin challenge or within the first hour of an already established inflammation.
Reutershan
Jörg
J
Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia Health System, USA. joerg.reutershan@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Chang
Daniel
D
Hayes
John K
JK
Ley
Klaus
K
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000502:physiology; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000517:prevention & control; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D018925:Chemokines; D004731:Endotoxins; D007530:Isoflurane; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II