Recombinant-human superoxide dismutase attenuates endotoxin-induced lung injury in awake sheep

Oxygen radicals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury associated with clinical and experimental sepsis. With the use of endotoxin infusion as an in vivo model of sepsis we studied the effect of recombinant-human superoxide dismutase (r-hSOD; 4,200 U/mg), an enzyme that catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide anion, on both the physiologic and biochemical lung changes in awake sheep. Sheep (n = 11) were prepared for chronic measurement of pulmonary hemodynamics and lung fluid balance. Paired experiments were performed in seven of the animals in which they received either endotoxin (1 microgram/kg) alone or in combination with r-hSOD in random order. An additional four sheep received r-hSOD without the lipopolysaccharide. Intravenous infusion of r-hSOD (a loading dose of 12,600 U/kg followed by a maintenance dose of 14,700 U/kg/h for 7 h) resulted in substantial SOD activity, measured by electron spin resonance spectrometry, both in plasma and in lung lymph, and attenuated the expected changes in pulmonary arterial pressure and lung lymph flow after administration of endotoxin. When administered without endotoxin, r-hSOD produced no perceptible change in pulmonary hemodynamics and lung fluid balance. These data suggest that superoxide anion plays an important role in endotoxin-induced lung injury in sheep.