Hypertonic saline resuscitation limits neutrophil activation after trauma-hemorrhagic shock

There is evidence suggesting that the ischemic gut is a major source of factors that lead to neutrophil activation, and that neutrophil activation can be reduced by hypertonic saline resuscitation. Thus, we tested whether trauma-hemorrhagic shock-induced neutrophil activation can be reduced by hypertonic saline resuscitation, as well as whether hypertonic saline reduces the ability of mesenteric lymph from shocked animals to activate neutrophils. Male Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to trauma (laparotomy), plus 90 min of shock [mean arterial pressure (MAP) MAP = 30 mmHg] or sham shock were resuscitated with Ringer's lactate or 7.5% hypertonic saline at an equivalent sodium load. Whole blood samples were collected before shock as well as at 1 and 2 h after the end of the shock period for neutrophil CD11b and CD18 expression measurements. In a second set of experiments, mesenteric lymph samples collected from rats subjected to trauma plus hemorrhagic shock (T/HS) or trauma plus sham-shock (T/SS) and resuscitated with Ringer's lactate or hypertonic saline were tested for their ability to modulate PMN CD11b, CD18, or L-selectin expression, as well as prime PMN for an augmented respiratory burst. To avoid confounding results due to interspecies differences, while at the same time looking at potential human responses, both naive rat and human PMN were tested. Both CD11b and CD18 expression were increased in PMN harvested from rats subjected to T/HS and resuscitated with Ringer's lactate solution, but not in T/HS rats resuscitated with hypertonic saline. These results indicate that PMN activation is increased to a greater extent in Ringer's lactate-resuscitated than hypertonic saline-resuscitated animals. Likewise, mesenteric lymph from the T/HS rats resuscitated with Ringer's lactate increased naive rat and human PMN CD11b and CD18 expression to a greater extent than did T/HS lymph from the hypertonic saline-treated rats. Additionally, T/HS lymph from the Ringer's lactate- but not the hypertonic saline-treated rats induced PMN L-selectin shedding. Lastly, T/HS lymph from the Ringer's lactate-treated rats induced the greatest PMN respiratory burst. These results indicate that resuscitation from T/HS with hypertonic saline is associated with less PMN activation than resuscitation with Ringer's lactate, and that factors produced or released by the postischemic intestine and carried in the mesenteric lymph contribute to neutrophil activation after an episode of T/HS.