Oxygen and resolution of lung injury.

We investigated the effects of varying inspired oxygen concentrations on the resolution of oleic acid-induced lung injury in rabbits. Rabbits were injected intravenously with oleic acid and maintained in room air, or exposed to 60, 70, or 80% oxygen for periods of 7 or 10 days. Oleic acid caused hemorrhagic pulmonary edema with hypoxemia. Hypoxemia was more profound in the oxygen-treated animals, a difference that was significant after 7 days' exposure to 60 and 70% oxygen, and after 4 days to 80% oxygen. Mortality was increased in the animals maintained in 80% oxygen. The data suggest that environmental oxygen concentrations greater than 60% interfere with the return to normal lung function following oleic acid injury in rabbits. The hypoxemia may be due to either mismatching of ventilation and perfusion or to a diffusion block resulting from the increased septal width. There was no evidence of massive pulmonary edema as a cause of the hypoxemia. It was not possible to distinguish between injury primarily caused by oxygen and its interference with the healing process.