Nebulized anticoagulants limit pulmonary coagulopathy, but not inflammation, in a model of experimental lung injury.

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary coagulopathy may contribute to an adverse outcome in lung injury. We assessed the effects of local anticoagulant therapy on bronchoalveolar and systemic haemostasis in a rat model of endotoxemia-induced lung injury.

METHODS

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were intravenously challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and treated with nebulized normal saline (placebo), recombinant human-activated protein C (APC), plasma-derived antithrombin (AT), heparin, or danaparoid.

RESULTS

Intravenous administration of LPS resulted in lung injury associated with elevated bronchoalveolar levels of thrombin-antithrombin complex (TATc), 6.9 +/- 0.8 ng/mL (placebo) versus 0.5 +/- 0.2 ng/mL (healthy control) (p < 0.01), and elevated bronchoalveolar levels of fibrin degradation products (FDP), 555 +/- 74 ng/mL versus 27 +/- 12 ng/mL (p < 0.01). Nebulized APC, AT, and danaparoid all significantly limited the rise of bronchoalveolar levels of TATc, 2.4 +/- 0.7 ng/mL), 1.5 +/- 0.2, 3.8 +/- 0.7, and 3.2 +/- 0.9 ng/mL, respectively (all p < 0.01 vs. placebo), and fibrin degradation products, 243 +/- 77, 113 +/- 20, 317 +/- 74, and 300 +/- 42 ng/mL (all p < 0.01 vs. placebo). Heparin and danaparoid also significantly affected systemic coagulopathy. However, pulmonary inflammatory responses [neutrophil influx into the lungs, bronchoalveolar levels of myeloperoxidase, and bronchoalveolar levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-6 and CINC-3], and histopathology of lungs were not affected by nebulization of anticoagulants.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, local treatment with APC, AT, heparin, or danaparoid attenuate pulmonary coagulopathy, but not inflammation, in rats with endotoxemia-induced lung injury.