BMC Anesthesiology


Open Access Highly Access Research article

High tidal volume mechanical ventilation-induced lung injury in rats is greater after acid instillation than after sepsis-induced acute lung injury, but does not increase systemic inflammation: an experimental study

Jan W Kuiper1,2*, Frans B Plötz1,3, AB Johan Groeneveld4, Jack J Haitsma2, Serge Jothy5, Rosanna Vaschetto1,2,6, Haibo Zhang2 and Arthur S Slutsky2

Author Affiliations

1 From the Department of Paediatric Intensive Care, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2 Department of Anaesthesia and Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, The Keenan Research Centre at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital

3 Department of Paediatrics, Tergooiziekenhuizen, Blaricum, The Netherlands

4 Intensive Care, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

5 Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

6 Departments of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy

For all author emails, please log on.

BMC Anesthesiology 2011, 11:26 doi:10.1186/1471-2253-11-26

Published: 28 December 2011

Abstract

Background

To examine whether acute lung injury from direct and indirect origins differ in susceptibility to ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) and resultant systemic inflammatory responses.

Methods

Rats were challenged by acid instillation or 24 h of sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture, followed by mechanical ventilation (MV) with either a low tidal volume (Vt) of 6 mL/kg and 5 cm H2O positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP; LVt acid, LVt sepsis) or with a high Vt of 15 mL/kg and no PEEP (HVt acid, HVt sepsis). Rats sacrificed immediately after acid instillation and non-ventilated septic animals served as controls. Hemodynamic and respiratory variables were monitored. After 4 h, lung wet to dry (W/D) weight ratios, histological lung injury and plasma mediator concentrations were measured.

Results

Oxygenation and lung compliance decreased after acid instillation as compared to sepsis. Additionally, W/D weight ratios and histological lung injury scores increased after acid instillation as compared to sepsis. MV increased W/D weight ratio and lung injury score, however this effect was mainly attributable to HVt ventilation after acid instillation. Similarly, effects of HVt on oxygenation were only observed after acid instillation. HVt during sepsis did not further affect oxygenation, compliance, W/D weight ratio or lung injury score. Plasma interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α concentrations were increased after acid instillation as compared to sepsis, but plasma intercellular adhesion molecule-1 concentration increased during sepsis only. In contrast to lung injury parameters, no additional effects of HVt MV after acid instillation on plasma mediator concentrations were observed.

Conclusions

During MV more severe lung injury develops after acid instillation as compared to sepsis. HVt causes VILI after acid instillation, but not during sepsis. However, this differential effect was not observed in the systemic release of mediators.

Keywords:
Ventilator-induced lung injury; acute lung injury; sepsis; cytokines; lung histology; mechanical ventilation.