Cardiopulmonary changes occurring with pulmonary intravascular clearance of live bacteria in sheep

Sheep were infused with live bacteria to determine if the bacteria are phagocytized in the pulmonary circulation and to study the associated cardiopulmonary changes. Unanesthetized animals (n = 9) with chronic hemodynamic and pulmonary lymph catheters received a 1 hr central venous infusion of live Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5 x 10(7) Ps./minute) and were compared to a sham group (n = 7). The pulmonary arterial levels of bacteria were five to 100 times higher than the aortic levels. Pulmonary intravascular clearance rates were 79-91%. Electron microscopy of the lungs 24 hr after the bacterial infusion showed that pulmonary intravascular macrophages and neutrophils phagocytosed the bacteria. Severe initial and mild persistent pulmonary hypertension occurred. The pulmonary lymph flow was elevated, initially from hydrostatic pressure and later from increased permeability. A hyperdynamic circulation occurred from 6 to 18 hr, with elevated cardiac index and lowered systemic vascular resistance and mean arterial pressure, mimicking cardiopulmonary changes seen in clinical sepsis. The removal of bacteria in the lungs may contribute to the injury in sheep.