Ridogrel prevents the thromboxane-mediated pressor response and oedema induced by hydrogen peroxide in isolated rabbit lungs.

Perfusion of isolated rabbit lungs with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 3 x 10(-5) M) raised the overflow of thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and the perfusion pressure. H2O2 induced oedema formation and endothelial distress, as evidenced by an increased production of 6-oxo-prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-oxo-PGF1 alpha). Endothelial cell death did not occur since there was no release of lactate dehydrogenase. The thromboxane A2 (TXA2)-synthase inhibitor/receptor antagonist ridogrel (R68070) further enhanced 6-oxo-PGF1 alpha output, while inhibiting TXB2 release. Ridogrel prevented the rise in pulmonary artery pressure and oedema formation. These data indicate that TXA2 is probably involved in the acute pulmonary pressor response and concomitant oedema formation induced by H2O2. In order to assess the functional activity of the pulmonary endothelium, the uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) was measured before and 15 min after exposure to H2O2. As the H2O2-induced effects were not associated with any change in the uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), we conclude that the endothelial injury was reversible or that the 5-HT uptake was not sensitive enough to evaluate the integrity of the pulmonary endothelium during oxidant-induced injury.

Thromboxane and prostacyclin production in the perfused rabbit lung.

We investigated whether prostacyclin formation by the isolated rabbit lung can serve as a measure of pulmonary distress. The basal TXA2 and PGI2 formation was very low, and depended on the preperfusion history of the lung (low or high flow, use of dextran or artificial perfusate). The basal prostanoid production remained unchanged over a time period of 2 h. Neither was it influenced by the serotonin uptake inhibitor chlorimipramine and by small changes in temperature (33 degrees C vs 39 degrees C). The PGI2 formation was almost independent of hemodynamic alterations such as embolism or vasoconstriction. An enhanced production was only seen after a dramatic increase in flow (from 1.7-5 ml/sec), and a transient 3-fold increase was observed after administration of 1 mM H2O2. A substantial (up to 40-fold) but transient increase in TXA2 production was measured after 1 mM of H2O2, and the TXA2 production was positively correlated to the increase in pulmonary arterial pressure. However, thromboxane production was also dramatically augmented by hemodynamic alterations such as embolism, increased flow and--to a lesser extent--vasoconstriction. We conclude that the determination of the prostanoid production (and particularly the TXA2 formation) by the rabbit lung cannot be used as a direct measure of endothelial distress. To this end it is excessively biased by hemodynamic alterations such as recruitment and shear stress.

Influence of clomipramine and embolization on the characterization of serotonin uptake in rabbit lung using a new mathematical model.

The kinetic parameters Vmax and Km of the carrier-mediated uptake of serotonin by the lung can be used as an index of endothelial distress. To this purpose we have recently developed a new mathematical model which estimates the kinetic parameters of the double uptake mechanism of serotonin by the rabbit lung (MODEL3, Peeters et al., 1989). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the behavior of this new model after inhibition of the uptake by clomipramine and after reduction of the perfused lung surface with glass bead embolization. Clomipramine administration did not cause distinct hemodynamic alterations, but decreased the serotonin extraction and Vmax/Km (the sum of all first order rate constants). After clomipramine, Vmax1, i.e., the maximal velocity for the first uptake pathway, was significantly decreased, while Km1 tended to increase without reaching significance. The virtual inhibition constant of clomipramine was about 1 microM. Glass bead embolization resulted in large hemodynamic responses, decreased extraction of serotonin and decreased values for Vmax/Km and Vmax1. This is consistent with a diminished vascular surface available for serotonin extraction. We conclude that MODEL3 was able to detect changes in intrinsic uptake capacity and vascular surface area, which were especially reflected in a decrease of Vmax/Km and Vmax1.

Influence of vasoconstriction, temperature, and flow on the kinetics of serotonin uptake in rabbit lungs.

In the process of estimating the kinetic parameters of the pulmonary endothelial serotonin (5-HT) uptake, it is critically important to distinguish the effects of hemodynamic changes from endothelial injury. Therefore, the effects of changes in flow rate (1.7-5.0 ml/s), hemodynamics (vasoconstriction by norepinephrine), and temperature (39 vs. 33 degrees C) were investigated in isolated rabbit lungs. Indicator-dilution data were expressed in terms of the Michaelis-Menten equation for the two 5-HT uptake pathways in the preparation. The maximum uptake velocity (Vmax1) and the 5-HT concentration at half-maximum velocity (Km1) of the first pathway as well as the first-order constant (Vmax2/Km2) of the linear part of the second pathway were determined. Neither vasoconstriction nor flow variations had any effect on Km1, whereas increasing the flow rate caused extensive recruitment, with a concomitant increase in Vmax1 and Vmax2/Km2. Furthermore, all the kinetic parameters were significantly decreased at the lower temperature. We conclude that Km1 is independent of organ hemodynamics (vasoconstriction and flow) but susceptible to changes in 5-HT uptake capacity caused by a change in temperature. Vmax1 and Vmax2/Km2 respond to alterations in 5-HT uptake capacity and perfused organ volume. These are prerequisites to apply kinetic modeling as a method for the investigation of pulmonary endothelial function and integrity.

Kinetics of serotonin uptake in isolated rabbit lungs.

The single-pass, bolus-injection method was used to study the effect of serotonin (5-HT) concentration on the extraction of 5-HT by isolated perfused rabbit lungs. The extraction pattern suggested that an uptake model, which includes multiple parallel uptake processes, provided a better representation of the data than the simple Michaelis-Menten equation, which has commonly been used to fit the saturable uptake data in previous studies. In particular, the rabbit lung data could be fit with two such parallel pathways. Since the 5-HT uptake could virtually be completely blocked by imipramine, both pathways can be considered to be carrier-mediated processes. The high-affinity pathway was saturable within the range of concentrations studied, with a Km and Vmax of approximately 0.84 microM and 0.21 nmol.s-1.g wet lung wt-1. The Km for the low-affinity pathway was larger than concentrations for which accurate uptake measurements are practical in the perfused organ. Thus, for the low-affinity pathway, only Vmax/Km was identifiable. Vmax/Km values for the high- and low-affinity pathways were approximately 2.87 and 0.35 ml/s, respectively. The results suggest that it will be worthwhile to investigate the behavior of these uptake parameters in response to changes in lung physiology and endothelial function in future studies.

Evaluation of the functional integrity of endothelium in perfused lungs.

Prostacyclin (PGI2) formation and the saturable uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) were studied as indices of endothelial integrity in isolated lungs. 5HT uptake was characterized by its kinetic parameters Km and Vmax. These were calculated from multiple indicator dilution data on the basis of an organ model of 5HT uptake. Perfused dog lung lobes were exposed to plasma activated with yeast (YAP) or zymosan (ZAP). YAP induced a transient elevation of Km. This increase probably reflects endothelial injury. Vmax remained unchanged, suggesting that the perfused endothelial surface remained stable. PGI2 biosynthesis was negligible in the control period, but started immediately after exposure to ZAP or YAP. It was proportional to the transient elevation of Km and to the pulmonary oedema. The data suggest that PGI2 might be a marker of severe endothelial distress.

Prostacyclin biosynthesis and reduced 5-HT uptake after complement-induced endothelial injury in the dog isolated lung.

1. Pulmonary prostacyclin (PGI2) biosynthesis was evaluated in relation to endothelial integrity before and after complement activation in isolated plasma-perfused lung lobes of the dog. 2. The plasma was activated with zymosan (ZAP, n = 4), yeast cells (YAP, n = 4) or yeast with 3 microM indomethacin (Indo + YAP, n = 3). Immunoreactive 6-oxo-prostaglandin F1 alpha (i-6-oxo-PGF1 alpha) and thromboxane B2 (iTXB2) were measured to monitor PGI2 and TXA2 biosynthesis. 3. The kinetic parameters Km and Vmax of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) uptake were calculated on the basis of multiple indicator diffusion data to evaluate endothelial integrity. 4. YAP and ZAP induced a biphasic increase of the arterial perfusion pressure. The immediate pressure peak was partly mediated by TXA2 and the TXB2 was subsequently cleared by the lung. 5. The apparent Vmax of 5-HT uptake remained constant throughout the experiment. Thus, complement activation did not affect the number of endothelial 5-HT carrier sites available to the perfusate. 6. The apparent Km of 5-HT uptake was enhanced in 9 lungs exposed to activated plasma complement for 20 min. This decreased affinity for 5-HT probably reflects endothelial injury. It was transient as the apparent Km had returned to the baseline value after 60 min. 7. PGI2 clearance and biosynthesis were virtually absent in the control period. PGI2 formation increased drastically after infusion of ZAP or YAP and was proportional to the endothelial injury expressed as elevated Km or pulmonary oedema. Thus, PGI2 biosynthesis might be a marker of severe endothelial distress.