Mechanisms of interaction between oxygen and granulocytes in hyperoxic lung injury

Hyperoxia and infused granulocytes act synergistically in producing a nonhydrostatic high-permeability lung edema in the isolated perfused rabbit lung within 4 h, which is substantially greater than that seen with hyperoxia alone. We hypothesized that the interaction between hyperoxia and granulocytes was principally due to a direct effect of hyperoxia on the lung itself. Isolated perfused rabbit lungs that were preexposed to 2 h of hyperoxia (95% O2-5% CO2) prior to the infusion of unstimulated granulocytes (under normoxic conditions) developed significant nonhydrostatic lung edema (P = 0.008) within 2 h when compared with lungs that were preexposed to normoxia (15% O2-5% CO2) prior to granulocyte perfusion. The edema in the hyperoxic-preexposed lungs was accompanied by significant increases in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) protein, BAL granulocytes, BAL thromboxane and prostacyclin levels, perfusate chemotactic activity, and lung lipid peroxidation. These findings suggest that the synergistic interaction between hyperoxia and granulocytes in producing acute lung injury involves a primary effect of hyperoxia on the lung itself.