An experimental method for in vivo studies of pulmonary platelet sequestration

It has been reported in earlier in vitro studies that soft tissue trauma and endotoxin-induced shock causes pulmonary platelet trapping (PPT). This paper describes a noninvasive in vivo technique for dynamic studies of PPT in rabbits. Autologous platelets were labeled with 111In and reinfused into the animals. The following day, the rabbits were anesthetized and placed in a supine position under a scintillation camera. Continuous measurement of the activity distribution in the animal was performed for 35 min. The first 5 min represented a preshock measurement, whereafter endotoxin E. coli was injected IV. The following 2-3 min showed a sudden increase of radioactivity in the lungs indicating PPT, and thereafter a slow decrease to almost the preshock level. A simultaneous decrease in the number of platelets and the radioactivity in peripheral blood also indicated the induction of PPT. This study clearly shows that PPT can be detected in vivo with an easy, noninvasive scintillation camera method.