ISSN: 1449-1907International Journal of Medical Sciences
Global reach, higher impact
Int J Med Sci 2021; 18(6):1363-1374. doi:10.7150/ijms.51905 This issue Cite
Research Paper
Nonionic surfactant attenuates acute lung injury by restoring epithelial integrity and alveolar fluid clearance
1. Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
2. Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
3. Department of Research, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
4. Department of Critical Care Medicine, Landseed International Hospital, Tao-Yuan City, Taiwan.
5. Department of Anatomic Pathology, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Pathology, Buddhist Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
6. Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
7. Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation; School of Medicine, Tzu-Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
Abstract
Introduction: Acute lung injury (ALI) has a great impact and a high mortality rate in intensive care units (ICUs). Excessive air may enter the lungs, causing pulmonary air embolism (AE)-induced ALI. Some invasive iatrogenic procedures cause pulmonary AE-induced ALI, with the presentation of severe inflammatory reactions, hypoxia, and pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary surfactants are vital in the lungs to reduce the surface tension and inflammation. Nonionic surfactants (NIS) are a kind of surfactants without electric charge on their hydrophilic parts. Studies on NIS in AE-induced ALI are limited. We aimed to study the protective effects and mechanisms of NIS in AE-induced ALI.
Materials and methods: Five different groups (n = 6 in each group) were created: sham, AE, AE + NIS pretreatment (0.5 mg/kg), AE + NIS pretreatment (1 mg/kg), and AE + post-AE NIS (1 mg/kg). AE-induced ALI was introduced by the infusion of air via the pulmonary artery. Aerosolized NIS were administered via tracheostomy.
Results: Pulmonary AE-induced ALI showed destruction of the alveolar cell integrity with increased pulmonary microvascular permeability, pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary edema, and lung inflammation. The activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) increased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and sodium-potassium-chloride co-transporter isoform 1 (NKCC1). The pretreatment with NIS (1 mg/kg) prominently maintained the integrity of the epithelial lining and suppressed the expression of NF-κB, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and NKCC1, subsequently reducing AE-induced ALI.
Conclusions: NIS maintained the integrity of the epithelial lining and suppressed the expression of NF-κB, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and NKCC1, thereby reducing hyperpermeability, pulmonary edema, and inflammation in ALI.
Keywords: nonionic surfactant, air emboli, epithelial integrity, lung injury
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