The effects of prostaglandin E1 on lung injury complicating hyperdynamic sepsis in sheep

We examined the hypothesis that PGE1 would reduce the severity of lung injury in sheep rendered septic by cecal ligation and perforation (CLP). Twenty-four to 30 h after CLP, septic lung injury was documented in 37 sheep because pulmonary lymph flow (Iym) was increased above the baseline, nonseptic study (Δ = +7.38 ± 5.1 ml/h; p < 0.05), whereas the lymph-to-plasma total protein ratios remained unchanged. During a subsequent 24-h “septic treatment” study period, Iym continued to increase in an untreated study group (septic treatment minus septic Δ = +10.24 ± 4.9 ml/h; p < 0.05), but not in sheep treated with PGE1 by continuous infusion at two doses, 1 µg/kg/h (“low-dose”: ΔIym = −0.04 ± 6.1 ml/h; p = NS) and 1 µg/kg/min (“high-dose”: ΔIym = −0.04 ± 6.1 ml/h; p = NS. Mean pulmonary artery pressures () increased in the untreated group during the septic treatment period (Δ = +3.74 ± 4.8 mm Hg; p < 0.01), but not during PGE1 infusion in either of the low-dose ( = −4.1 ± 5.7 mm Hg; p < 0.04) or the high-dose (...