Effects of positive end-expiratory pressure in an experimental model of acute myocardial infarct in wistar rats

Biological impact of restrictive and liberal fluid strategies at low and high PEEP levels on lung and distal organs in experimental acute respiratory distress syndrome

Background: Fluid regimens in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are conflicting. The amount of fluid and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) level may interact leading to ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). We therefore evaluated restrictive and liberal fluid strategies associated with low and high PEEP levels with regard to lung and kidney damage, as well as cardiorespiratory function in endotoxin-induced ARDS.

Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats received an intratracheal instillation of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide. After 24 h, the animals were anesthetized, protectively ventilated (V_T = 6 ml/kg), and randomized to restrictive (5 ml/kg/h) or liberal (40 ml/kg/h) fluid strategies (Ringer lactate). Both groups were then ventilated with PEEP = 3 cmH₂O (PEEP3) and PEEP = 9 cmH₂O (PEEP9) for 1 h (n = 6/group). Echocardiography, arterial blood gases, and lung mechanics were evaluated throughout the experiments. Histologic analyses were done on the lungs, and molecular biology was assessed in lungs and kidneys using six non-ventilated animals with no fluid therapy.

Results: In lungs, the liberal group showed increased transpulmonary plateau pressure compared with the restrictive group (liberal, 23.5 ± 2.9 cmH₂O; restrictive, 18.8 ± 2.3 cmH₂O, p = 0.046) under PEEP = 9 cmH₂O. Gene expression associated with inflammation (interleukin [IL]-6) was higher in the liberal-PEEP9 group than the liberal-PEEP3 group (p = 0.006) and restrictive-PEEP9 (p = 0.012), Regardless of the fluid strategy, lung mechanical power and the heterogeneity index were higher, whereas birefringence for claudin-4 and zonula-ocludens-1 gene expression were lower in the PEEP9 groups. Perivascular edema was higher in liberal groups, regardless of PEEP levels. Markers related to damage to epithelial cells [club cell secreted protein (CC16)] and the extracellular matrix (syndecan) were higher in the liberal-PEEP9 group than the liberal-PEEP3 group (p = 0.010 and p = 0.024, respectively). In kidneys, the expression of IL-6 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin was higher in PEEP9 groups, regardless of the fluid strategy. For the liberal strategy, PEEP = 9 cmH₂O compared with PEEP = 3 cmH₂O reduced the right ventricle systolic volume (37%) and inferior vena cava collapsibility index (45%).

Conclusion: The combination of a liberal fluid strategy and high PEEP led to more lung damage. The application of high PEEP, regardless of the fluid strategy, may also be deleterious to kidneys.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Are More Effective Than Their Extracellular Vesicles at Reducing Lung Injury Regardless of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Etiology

Although mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have demonstrated beneficial effects on experimental acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), preconditioning may be required to potentiate their therapeutic effects. Additionally, administration of cell-free products, such as extracellular vesicles (EVs) obtained from MSC-conditioned media, might be as effective as MSCs. In this study, we comparatively evaluated the effects of MSCs, preconditioned or not with serum collected from mice with pulmonary or extrapulmonary ARDS (ARDSp and ARDSexp, respectively), and the EVs derived from these cells on lung inflammation and remodeling in ARDSp and ARDSexp mice. Administration of MSCs (preconditioned or not), but not their EVs, reduced static lung elastance, interstitial edema, and collagen fiber content in both ARDSp and ARDSexp. Although MSCs and EVs reduced alveolar collapse and neutrophil cell counts in lung tissue, therapeutic responses were superior in mice receiving MSCs, regardless of preconditioning. Despite higher total cell, macrophage, and neutrophil counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in ARDSp than ARDSexp, MSCs and EVs (preconditioned or not) led to a similar decrease. In ARDSp, both MSCs and EVs, regardless of preconditioning, reduced levels of tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α, interleukin-6, keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and transforming growth factor- (TGF-) β in lung homogenates. In ARDSexp, TNF-α, interleukin-6, and KC levels were reduced by MSCs and EVs, preconditioned or not; only MSCs reduced VEGF levels, while TGF-β levels were similarly increased in ARDSexp treated either with saline, MSCs, or EVs, regardless of preconditioning. In conclusion, MSCs yielded greater overall improvement in ARDS in comparison to EVs derived from the same number of cells and regardless of the preconditioning status. However, the effects of MSCs and EVs differed according to ARDS etiology.

Effects of crystalloid, hyper-oncotic albumin, and iso-oncotic albumin on lung and kidney damage in experimental acute lung injury

BACKGROUND

Conflicting data have reported beneficial effects of crystalloids, hyper-oncotic albumin (20%ALB), and iso-oncotic albumin (5%ALB) in critically ill patients. Although hyper-oncotic albumin may minimize lung injury, recent studies have shown that human albumin may lead to kidney damage proportional to albumin concentration. In this context, we compared the effects of Ringer's lactate (RL), 20%ALB, and 5%ALB, all titrated according to similar hemodynamic goals, on pulmonary function, lung and kidney histology, and molecular biology in experimental acute lung injury (ALI).

METHODS

Male Wistar rats received Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide intratracheally (n = 24) to induce ALI. After 24 h, animals were anesthetized and randomly assigned to receive RL, 20%ALB, or 5%ALB (n = 6/group) to maintain hemodynamic stability (distensibility index of inferior vena cava < 25%, mean arterial pressure > 65 mmHg). Rats were then mechanically ventilated for 6 h. Six animals, which received neither ventilation nor fluids (NV), were used for molecular biology analyses.

RESULTS

The total fluid volume infused was higher in RL compared to 5%ALB and 20%ALB (median [interquartile range], 10.8[8.2-33.2] vs. 4.8[3.6-7.7] and 4.3[3.9-6.6] mL, respectively; p = 0.02 and p = 0.003). B-line counts on lung ultrasound (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0002) and serum lactate levels (p = 0.01 and p = 0.01) were higher in RL than 5%ALB and 20%ALB. Diffuse alveolar damage score was lower in 5%ALB (10.5[8.5-12]) and 20%ALB (10.5[8.5-14]) than RL (16.5[12.5-20.5]) (p < 0.05 and p = 0.03, respectively), while acute kidney injury score was lower in 5%ALB (9.5[6.5-10]) than 20%ALB (18[15-28.5], p = 0.0006) and RL (16 [15-19], p = 0.04). In lung tissue, mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-6 was higher in RL (59.1[10.4-129.3]) than in 5%ALB (27.0[7.8-49.7], p = 0.04) or 20%ALB (3.7[7.8-49.7], p = 0.03), and IL-6 protein levels were higher in RL than 5%ALB and 20%ALB (p = 0.026 and p = 0.021, respectively). In kidney tissue, mRNA expression and protein levels of kidney injury molecule (KIM)-1 were lower in 5%ALB than RL and 20%ALB, while nephronectin expression increased (p = 0.01 and p = 0.01), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In a rat model of ALI, both iso-oncotic and hyper-oncotic albumin solutions were associated with less lung injury compared to Ringer's lactate. However, hyper-oncotic albumin resulted in greater kidney damage than iso-oncotic albumin. This experimental study is a step towards future clinical designs.

Early and late acute lung injury and their association with distal organ damage in murine malaria

Severe malaria is characterised by cerebral oedema, acute lung injury (ALI) and multiple organ dysfunctions, however, the mechanisms of lung and distal organ damage need to be better clarified. Ninety-six C57BL/6 mice were injected intraperitoneally with 5×10(6)Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected erythrocytes or saline. At day 1, Plasmodium berghei infected mice presented greater number of areas with alveolar collapse, neutrophil infiltration and interstitial oedema associated with lung mechanics impairment, which was more severe at day 1 than day 5. Lung tumour necrosis factor-α and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 levels were higher at day 5 compared to day 1. Lung damage occurred in parallel with distal organ injury at day 1; nevertheless, lung inflammation and the presence of malarial pigment in distal organs were more evident at day 5. In conclusion, ALI develops prior to the onset of cerebral malaria symptoms. Later during the course of infection, the established systemic inflammatory response increases distal organ damage.

Quantitation of acute necrosis after experimental myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction (MI) is death and necrosis of myocardial tissue secondary to ischemia. MI is associated with adverse cardiac remodeling, progressive heart chamber dilation, ventricular wall thinning, and loss of cardiac function. Myocardial necrosis can be experimentally induced in rodents to simulate human MI by surgical occlusion of coronary arteries. When induced in knockout or transgenic mice, this model is useful for the identification of molecular modulators of cell death, cardiac remodeling, and preclinical therapeutic potential. Herein we outline in tandem, methods for microsurgical ligation of the left anterior descending artery followed by quantitation of myocardial necrosis. Necrosis is quantified after staining the heart with triphenyltetrazolium chloride.

Sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) is milder in diabetic rats and correlates with impaired NFkB activation

Acute lung injury (ALI) develops in response to a direct insult to the lung or secondarily to a systemic inflammatory response, such as sepsis. There is clinical evidence that the incidence and severity of ALI induced by direct insult are lower in diabetics. In the present study we investigated whether the same occurs in ALI secondarily to sepsis and the molecular mechanisms involved. Diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats by alloxan and sepsis by caecal ligation and puncture surgery (CLP). Six hours later, the lungs were examined for oedema and cell infiltration in bronchoalveolar lavage. Alveolar macrophages (AMs) were cultured in vitro for analysis of IκB and p65 subunit of NFκB phosphorylation and MyD88 and SOCS-1 mRNA. Diabetic rats were more susceptible to sepsis than non-diabetics. In non-diabetic rats, the lung presented oedema, leukocyte infiltration and increased COX2 expression. In diabetic rats these inflammatory events were significantly less intense. To understand why diabetic rats despite being more susceptible to sepsis develop milder ALI, we examined the NFκB activation in AMs of animals with sepsis. Whereas in non-diabetic rats the phosphorylation of IκB and p65 subunit occurred after 6 h of sepsis induction, this did not occur in diabetics. Moreover, in AMs from diabetic rats the expression of MyD88 mRNA was lower and that of SOCS-1 mRNA was increased compared with AMs from non-diabetic rats. These results show that ALI secondary to sepsis is milder in diabetic rats and this correlates with impaired activation of NFκB, increased SOCS-1 and decreased MyD88 mRNA.

Recruitment maneuver in experimental acute lung injury: the role of alveolar collapse and edema

OBJECTIVE

In acute lung injury, recruitment maneuvers have been used to open collapsed lungs and set positive end-expiratory pressure, but their effectiveness may depend on the degree of lung injury. This study uses a single experimental model with different degrees of lung injury and tests the hypothesis that recruitment maneuvers may have beneficial or deleterious effects depending on the severity of acute lung injury. We speculated that recruitment maneuvers may worsen lung mechanical stress in the presence of alveolar edema.

DESIGN

Prospective, randomized, controlled experimental study.

SETTING

University research laboratory.

SUBJECTS

Thirty-six Wistar rats randomly divided into three groups (n = 12 per group).

INTERVENTIONS

In the control group, saline was intraperitoneally injected, whereas moderate and severe acute lung injury animals received paraquat intraperitoneally (20 mg/kg [moderate acute lung injury] and 25 mg/kg [severe acute lung injury]). After 24 hrs, animals were further randomized into subgroups (n = 6/each) to be recruited (recruitment maneuvers: 40 cm H₂O continuous positive airway pressure for 40 secs) or not, followed by 1 hr of protective mechanical ventilation (tidal volume, 6 mL/kg; positive end-expiratory pressure, 5 cm H₂O).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Only severe acute lung injury caused alveolar edema. The amounts of alveolar collapse were similar in the acute lung injury groups. Static lung elastance, viscoelastic pressure, hyperinflation, lung, liver, and kidney cell apoptosis, and type 3 procollagen and interleukin-6 mRNA expressions in lung tissue were more elevated in severe acute lung injury than in moderate acute lung injury. After recruitment maneuvers, static lung elastance, viscoelastic pressure, and alveolar collapse were lower in moderate acute lung injury than in severe acute lung injury. Recruitment maneuvers reduced interleukin-6 expression with a minor detachment of the alveolar capillary membrane in moderate acute lung injury. In severe acute lung injury, recruitment maneuvers were associated with hyperinflation, increased apoptosis of lung and kidney, expression of type 3 procollagen, and worsened alveolar capillary injury.

CONCLUSIONS

In the presence of alveolar edema, regional mechanical heterogeneities, and hyperinflation, recruitment maneuvers promoted a modest but consistent increase in inflammatory and fibrogenic response, which may have worsened lung function and potentiated alveolar and renal epithelial injury.