title: [Function of endothelin-1 in neurogenic pulmonary edema].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of endothelin-1 in the pathogenesis of neurogenetic pulmonary edema.
  
  
  METHODS
  The levels of endothelin-1 in plasma and lung were measured in rats which suffered from diffuse brain injury on Marmarous' model. The changes of endothelin-1 in the lungs were also detected using an immunohistochemical method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After heavy diffuse brain injury in rats, the levels of endothelin-1 in plasma and lung began increasing at 1 hour, and peaked at 6 hour. Though a little declining at 24 hour, it maintained a higher level within 48 hours (P < 0.05). Pulmonary pathology showed that after brain injury there were congestion, swelling in pulmonary microvessels with broadened pulmonary interstitial tissue, and leucocyte infiltration was dominated by neutrophils and monocytes from 1 hour on, which peaked at 6 hour. More serious congestion, swelling and protein effusion in pulmonary alveoli were observed at both 24 h and 48 h. Immunohistochemically, endothelin-1 had more significant expression and higher levels of OD in the experimental groups than that in the control's, the most significance of which was at 6 hour.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The inflammatory injury mechanism caused by endothelin-1 may play an important role in neurogenic pulmonary edema.
authors.affiliation: North China Coal Mining Medical College, Tangshan 063000, China.
authors.forename: Guo-xian
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Kai-shun
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Chun-xiu
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: You-ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: Yong-qi
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000378:metabolism; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1