Thrombin increases fluid flux in isolated rat lungs by a hemodynamic and not a permeability mechanism

Gregory B. Waypa, Peter A. Vincent, Christine A. Morton, Fred L. Minnear*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

α-Thrombin increases endothelial protein permeability in vitro and induces weight gain in the isolated perfused lung. The objectives of this study were to determine whether thrombin increases endothelial permeability of the isolated perfused rat lung and whether a change in permeability or hemodynamics mediates the gain in lung weight. Endothelial protein permeability was assessed by regression analysis of 125I-labeled albumin clearance vs. fluid flux to determine the permeability-surface area product (PS) and the reflection coefficient (σ). Thrombin (5 x 10-8 or 5 x 10-7 M) did not alter protein permeability from the control values of PS and σ. Thrombin caused an overall increase in transvascular fluid flux, as depicted by a gain in lung weight. Pulmonary arterial and capillary pressures and arterial and venous resistances increased by 10 min after thrombin injection, and lung weight decreased due to arterial constriction. From 10 to 50 min, pressures and resistances decreased, but capillary pressure and venous resistance decreased to a lesser extent and, as a result, lung weight increased. Pretreatment with BQ-123, an endothelin-receptor antagonist, attenuated the sustained increases in pressures and resistances and the rate of lung weight gain. Indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, had no effect. These findings indicate that the increase in lung weight induced by thrombin results from an elevation of capillary pressure mediated, in part, by endothelin and is not due to an increase in endothelial protein permeability of the isolated perfused rat lung.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1197-1204
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of applied physiology
Volume80
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1996

Keywords

  • capillary filtration coefficient
  • endothelin
  • endothelin-receptor antagonist BQ-123
  • indomethacin
  • isolated perfused lung
  • permeability-surface area product
  • reflection coefficient
  • vascular endothelium
  • vascular pressure
  • vascular resistance

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physiology
  • Physiology (medical)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Thrombin increases fluid flux in isolated rat lungs by a hemodynamic and not a permeability mechanism'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this