Catecholamines reduce dose-dependent oedema formation and inflammatory reaction in an isolated rat lung model

Since we detected that donor dopamine pre-treatment ameliorates lung function after hypothermia and ischaemia/reperfusion in an isolated rat lung model we studied, whether other catecholamines have beneficial effects on lungs.

Rats were treated with noradrenaline, adrenaline or dobutamine in different doses. Thereafter lungs were explanted, flushed with Perfadex® solution and stored at 4°C for different time periods. Oedema production was measured and inflammatory mediators were analysed after reperfusion and ventilation.

Low-dose noradrenaline or dobutamine did not reduce tissue oedema after eight hours of hypothermia, whereas higher doses significantly reduced oedema formation. Low-dose catecholamines did not prevent the inflammatory response, whereas higher doses of beta-receptor-stimulating catecholamines significantly blunted inflammatory reaction.

This study demonstrates that adrenergic-receptor-stimulating catecholamines have a protective dose-dependent effect on lungs after hypothermia and ischaemia/reperfusion. Although noradrenaline and dobutamine have similar dose-dependent organ-protective effects to dopamine, they have more side-effects.