The effect of an infusion of zymosan-activated plasma on hemodynamic and pulmonary function in sheep

To assess the integrated cardiopulmonary response to acute microvascular lung injury, we infused zymosan-activated plasma (ZAP) into mature, awake sheep. ZAP infusion resulted in an immediate increase in the mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) from 17.5 +/- 4.5 mm Hg to a maximum of 33.0 +/- 5.4 mm Hg by 5 min (p less than 0.01) of a 90-min infusion. The pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) was sustained throughout ZAP infusion, and for up to 30 min after infusion was completed (p less than 0.05). Lung lymph flow increased immediately, but lymph to plasma total protein ([L/P]) ratios remained unchanged, suggesting increased pulmonary microvascular permeability. The PaO2 fell to a minimum by 5 min (106.9 +/- 17 to 88.3 +/- 14 mm Hg; p less than 0.01), but recovered toward preinfusion values in the final 60 minutes of ZAP infusion. The cardiac index (CI) and stroke volume index (SVI) also fell significantly for 15 minutes (p less than 0.01), and then recovered to levels not different from baseline by 30 min. In parallel with all of these changes, the polymorphonuclear leukocyte count (PMN) in arterial blood fell immediately [baseline to 5 min, delta 4.9 +/- 2.5 (X 10(3))/mm3; (p less than 0.01)] due to sequestration within the pulmonary microvasculature, since a baseline PMNs were being released from the lung, -6.0 +/- 19%, while by 15 min the PMNs were being sequestered, +58.4 +/- 31% (p less than 0.01). Therefore, ZAP infusion reproduced the clinical picture of acute microvascular lung injury in humans, specifically acute PAH and increased pulmonary microvascular permeability. These two changes were due to a cascade of events associated with the pulmonary microvascular trapping of PMNs.