[Pathological changes in an animal model of acute pulmonary injury induced by hemorrhagic shock and E. coli infection].

An animal model of API similar to RDS was established by feeding the rabbits with live E. Coli (10(11)/kg B.W.) and bleeding them till a mean arterial pressure of 6.0 kPa was maintained for 90 minutes. After resuscitation, there were decrease of PaO2, increase of respiratory rate as well as lung edema. Histological and electron microscopic examination showed interstitial and alveolar edema. The tight junctions both in alveolar epithelium and capillary endothelium showed alterations including discontinuity, irregularity, and free-ended strands being present as early as the 4th hour by freeze-fracture technique. Impairment of the tight junctions is considered to be the main route of fluid leakage from pulmonary capillaries inducing pulmonary edema.