Sepsis-induced lung injury and the effects of ibuprofen pretreatment : analysis of early alveolar events via repetitive bronchoalveolar lavage

Current knowledge of alveolar pathophysiology during early sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and the role of resident alveolar macrophages (AM) in mediating alveolar inflammatory events during sepsis is limited. Further, the effects of ibuprofen pretreatment upon alveolar pathophysiology and AM function during early sepsis-induced ALI is unclear. Utilizing repetitive bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in a porcine model of sepsis-induced ALI, we studied changes in alveolar cellular constituents, BAL protein content and molecular composition, and AM superoxide anion () generation during early sepsis. The neutrophil percentage of recovered alveolar cells (17 ± 8%, t = 300 min versus 2 ± 1%, t = 0; p = 0.06) and the bronchoalveolar lavage total protein content (493 ± 110 µg/ml, t = 300 min versus 109 ± 18 µg/ml, t = 0; p < 0.05) increased in septic animals. Increases in BAL fluid total protein were primarily due to low-molecular-weight plasma protein, indicating relative preservation of alveolar-capillary mem...