title: Inhaled activated protein C: a novel therapy for acute lung injury?
abstract: Acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by the presence of dysregulated coagulation and inflammation. Therefore, Waerhaug and colleagues hypothesized that administration of activated protein C (APC) via the inhaled route would be a novel and effective treatment for ALI. They demonstrated that inhaled APC improved oxygenation and lung aeration in a sheep model of lipopolysaccharide-induced ALI, but did not alter lung water or hemodynamics. Future studies are needed to determine plasma and airspace APC levels when administered by the inhaled route, and to determine if inhaled APC has a similar effect in other models of ALI.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0624, USA. kathleen.liu@ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Kathleen D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Looney
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Matthay
mesh_terms: D055371:Acute Lung Injury / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000336:Aerosols; D000818:Animals; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D011486:Protein C / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D011486:Protein C; D011994:Recombinant Proteins