Liquid ventilation attenuates pulmonary oxidative damage

Liquid perfluorochemicals reduce the production of reaction oxygen species by alveolar macrophages. We sought to determine whether the use of liquid perfluorochemicals in vivo during liquid ventilation would attenuate oxidative damage to the lung.

Healthy infant piglets (n = 16) were instrumented for mechanical ventilation and received intravenous oleic acid to create an acute lung injury. The animals were assigned to a nontreatment group receiving conventional mechanical ventilation or a treatment group receiving partial liquid ventilation with a liquid perfluorochemical. Following sacrifice, the bronchoalveolar lavage and lung parenchyma were analyzed for evidence of oxidative damage to lipids and proteins by determination of TBARS and carbonylated protein residues, respectively.

Mortality in the control group was 50% at the completion of the study compared with no deaths in the partial liquid ventilation group (P = .025). The alveolar-arterial oxygen difference was more favorable following injury in the partial liquid ventilation group. The liquid ventilation group demonstrated a 32% reduction in TBARS (P = .043) and a 14% reduction in carbonylated protein residues (P = .061).

These data suggest that partial liquid ventilation supports gas exchange and reduces mortality in association with a reduction in the production of reactive oxygen species and the concomitant attenuation of tissue damage during the early phase of acute lung injury.