PAF increases capillary pressure but not vascular permeability in isolated blood-perfused canine lungs

We determined the effects of platelet-activating factor (PAF) on pulmonary vascular resistance, lung weight, and microvascular permeability in isolated canine lungs perfused at constant pressure with autologous blood. PAF caused a dose-dependent increase in total pulmonary vascular resistance (Rt) and pulmonary capillary pressure assessed as double-occlusion pressure. PAF (33 micrograms; n = 7) caused a 10-fold increase in Rt and a decrease in precapillary-to-postcapillary vascular resistance ratio from 0.97 +/- 0.10 to 0.38 +/- 0.03, suggesting predominant pulmonary venoconstriction. Shortly after PAF, lung weight decreased transiently and then increased, reaching a plateau above baseline (112.5 +/- 1.6%) at 30 min. In lungs perfused in the antidromic direction from the pulmonary vein to the artery (n = 5), PAF (33 micrograms) produced marked precapillary vasoconstriction, consistent with pulmonary venoconstriction, and a remarkable and sustained decrease in lung weight below baseline by 30 min. Vascular permeability, measured 30 min after PAF using the capillary filtration coefficient and isogravimetric capillary pressure, did not change significantly from baseline. Thus we conclude that PAF produces lung weight gain by means of an increase in capillary pressure predominantly due to pulmonary venoconstriction without significant changes in vascular permeability in isolated blood-perfused canine lungs.