Resistive spontaneous breathing exacerbated lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injury in mice

Spontaneous respiratory mechanical force interacted with the primary lung injury and aggravated the progression of ARDS clinically. But the exact role and involved mechanism of it in the pathogenesis of ARDS animal model remained obscure.

This study was to investigate the effect of spontaneous respiratory mechanical force on lung injury of ARDS in mice.

Female C57BL/6 mice were subjected to resistive spontaneous breathing (RSB) by tracheal banding after 4-6 h of intranasal inhalation of LPS. Pulmonary function was examined by Buxco system, partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide (PO₂ and PCO₂) were measured by a blood gas analyzer, and lung pathological changes were analyzed with hematoxylin and eosin staining. The levels of inflammatory markers were quantified by ELISA, total protein assay, and FACS analysis. The expression levels of mechanosensitive ion channels were detected by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.

The airway resistance (Raw) was increased and the tidal volume (TV) was decreased remarkedly in RSB group. RSB treatment did not affect PO₂, PCO₂, pathology and inflammation levels of lung in mice. The Raw increased and ventilatory indicators decreased in RSB + ARDS compared to ARDS significantly. Besides, RSB treatment deteriorated the changes of PO₂, PCO₂ and level of lactic acid induced by LPS. Meanwhile, RSB significantly promoted LPS-induced pulmonary histopathological injury, and elevated the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and total proteins, increased neutrophils infiltration. The expression level of Piezo1 in RSB + ARDS group was remarkably reduced compared to ARDS group and consistent with the severity of pulmonary damage.

RSB exacerbated LPS-induced ARDS hypoxemia and hypercapnia, inflammation and damage. The mechanosensitive protein Piezo1 expression decreased and may play an important role in the process.