Prostaglandins F2 alpha, E2, and I2 (as 6-keto-PGF1 alpha) and TxA2 (as TxB2) were measured by radioimmunoassay in plasma and lymph from 12 conscious sheep with chronic lung lymph fistulas given Escherichia coli endotoxin (2-10 micrograms/kg) and followed for 24 h. Endotoxin produced a two-phase pulmonary injury. Phase 1 was characterized by transient severe pulmonary hypertension and increased lymph flow rate (QL). Plasma and lymph PGF2 alpha concentrations increased from base-line values of 0.13 +/- 0.08 and 0.30 +/- 0.10 ng/ml to 0.96 +/- 0.37 and 2.8 +/- 0.80 ng/ml, respectively. Values for TxB2 increased from 0.7 +/- 0.1 to 5.5 +/- 1.1 ng/ml in lymph and to 3.2 +/- 0.6 in plasma. Plasma PGI2 increased from 0.48 +/- 0.29 to 4.97 +/- 1.21 ng/ml and lymph PGI2 from 1.80 +/- 0.73 to 14.19 +/- 2.79 ng/ml. Phase 2 was characterized by moderately elevated pulmonary vascular pressures and a maintained high flow rate of protein-rich lymph. Lung lymph and plasma PGF2 alpha concentrations returned to base line. Lymph PGI2 decreased significantly to 5.23 +/- 2.47 ng/ml, whereas plasma PGI2 decreased to 2.70 +/- 1.07 ng/ml. We conclude that prostaglandins, particularly PGF2 alpha and prostacyclin, are released from the lung after endotoxemia and appear in lung lymph as sensitive indicators of pulmonary microvascular injury. Prostanoid production appears to temporally correspond with changes in the pulmonary microcirculation.

We measured the steady-state volumes of distribution for radioactive chloride, sucrose, and albumin in the lung of six anesthetized, spen-thorax sheep. We allowed 2 days for [131I]albumin to equilibrate throughout the body, 2 h for the 36Cl, and a 40-min constant infusion for [14C]sucrose before killing the animal. Five minutes before death, we gave [125I]albumin to tag lung plasma volume. We killed the animals by clamping both lung hila; we then removed the lungs and homogenized them. We measured residual red cell and plasma volume, total extravascular lung water, and the extravascular content of the three tracers. The distribution volumes expressed as fractions of blood-free lung weight were: 36Cl equals 0.44, sucrose equals 0.28, and albumin equals 0.07. If the sucrose distribution volume is taken as the best estimate of the lung's extravascular extracellular space, then chloride clearly overestimates the interstitial fluid volume, being either bound or partially intracellular. On the other hand, albumin clearly underestimates the interstitial fluid volume.

No abstract

The effect of end-expiratory airway pressure on the accumulation of extravascular lung water during lobar venous occlusion for 2 h was studied in closed-chest artifically ventilated dogs. Dogs were divided into two groups by end-expiratory airway pressures of 0 or 10 cmH2O. High-pressure lobar pulmonary edema was produced by lobar venous occlusion, which elevated microvascular hydrostatic pressure. After occlusion of the lobar pulmonary vein, lobar venous pressure (and microvascular hydrostatic pressure) rapidly became identical to pulmonary arterial pressure. We measured extravascular lung water (post mortem) and pulmonary arterial pressure and calculated plasma colloid osmotic pressure to determine the relationship between the accumulation of lung water and the difference between pulmonary microvascular pressure and plasma colloid osmotic pressure (net intravascular filtration pressure). At comparable net intravascular filtration pressures, dogs ventilated at the higher end-expiratory airway pressure accumulated more extravascular lung water. This study indicates that increasing end-expiratory airway pressure from zero to 10 cmH2O increases the accumulation of extravascular lung water when microvascular hydrostatic pressure is raised.

In 10 anesthetized sheep with mild or moderate pulmonary edema we determined whether the protein composition of lung lymph is representative of free interstitial fluid. We measured protein concentration and albumin fraction in 1-mul samples of plasma, lung lymph, and free interstitial fluid. We also measured lung lymph flow. In five sheep with edema caused by increased pulmonary microvascular pressure, the average (+/- 1 SE) plasma protein concentration was 6.0 +/- 0.4 g/100 ml, lung lymph 3.4 +/- 0.2, and interstitial fluid 3.1 +/- 0.3. Lymph flow increased from an average base-line value of 9.4 ml/h to 43.4 ml/h during edema. Average albumin fractions in lymph and interstitial fluid were 0.56 +/- 0.02 and 0.50 +/- 0.01, respectively, compared with 0.44 +/- 0.01 for plasma. In five sheep with increased-permeability edema, average plasma protein concentration was 5.7 +/- 0.3 g/100 ml, lung lymph 4.1 +/- 0.4, and interstitial fluid 4.6 +/- 0.4. Base-line lymph flow was 11.0 ml/h and increased to 27.8 ml/h during edema. Average albumin fractions in lymph and interstitial fluid were 0.53 +/- 0.01 and 0.50 +/- 0.02, respectively, compared with 0.43 +/- 0.01 for plasma. We conclude in both high-pressure and altered-permeability edema, the protein composition of lung lymph collected from the major lung efferent lymphatic is representative of the free interstitial edema fluid.