Interleukin-6 has no effect on surfactant or lung function in different lung insults

The current study determined if interleukin-6 (IL-6) had a causative role in the lung dysfunction and/or surfactant alterations associated with three different lung insults. IL-6 (or saline) was instilled into rats followed by mechanical ventilation in vivo for 4 hours. Also, IL-6 (-/-) and wild-type mice were subjected to 3 insults: ex vivo injurious mechanical ventilation; cecal ligation and perforation; and hyperoxia exposure. In all experiments, the presence or absence of IL-6 did not significantly influence gas exchange, lung compliance, or various surfactant measurements. These results suggest that IL-6 may have a limited role in the surfactant alterations observed in acute lung injury.