Pulmonary vascular protein sieving capability after exposure to high vascular pressures

We evaluated the ability of the canine in situ left lower lobe (LLL) vasculature to sieve endogenous plasma proteins of various molecular radii (34-124 A) after LLL arterial pressure had been transiently elevated to 23.8 +/- 0.9 (control group, n = 5) or 92.3 +/- 1.4 (SE) Torr (high-pressure group, n = 9) by restricting LLL venous outflow under conditions of constant flow. After LLL flow was returned to natural perfusion, left atrial pressure was elevated in step increments, and LLL lymph and blood samples were collected until filtration-independent lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratios (CL/CP) were obtained. The osmotic reflection coefficients (sigma d) for total proteins and seven protein fractions (separated by gradient gel electrophoresis) were calculated. The average total protein sigma d of the high-pressure group [0.51 +/- 0.06 (SE)] was significantly lower than that of the control group (0.68 +/- 0.03). Several LLLs of the high-pressure group, however, exhibited normal sigma d's. Protein fraction CL/CP's decreased with increasing molecular radius in both groups, but the CL/CP-molecular radius relationship was displaced upward in the high-pressure group. Pore analysis suggested that the decreases in sigma d could be explained by increases in the fractional flow through a large-pore system.