Dextran sulfate inhibits PMN-dependent hydrostatic pulmonary edema induced by tumor necrosis factor

We tested the hypothesis that neutrophil sequestration is required for the development of tumor necrosis factor- (TNF) induced neutrophil- (PMN) dependent pulmonary edema. TNF (3.2 X 10(5) U/kg ip) was injected into guinea pigs 18 h before lung isolation. After isolation, the lung was perfused with a phosphate-buffered Ringer solution. Dextran sulfate (mol wt 500,000) prevented the changes in pulmonary capillary pressure (Ppc; 8.5 +/- 0.8 vs. 12.8 +/- 0.8 cmH2O), lung weight gain (dW; +0.240 +/- 0.135 vs. +1.951 +/- 0.311 g), and pulmonary edema formation or wet-to-dry wt ratio [(W - D)/D; 6.6 +/- 0.2 vs. 8.3 +/- 0.5] at 60 min induced by PMN infusion into a TNF-pretreated lung. The unsulfated form of dextran had no protective effect [Ppc, dW, and (W - D)/D at 60 min: 11.9 +/- 0.9 cmH2O, +1.650 +/- 0.255 g, and 7.3 +/- 0.2, respectively], whereas the use of another anionic compound, heparin, inhibited the TNF + PMN response [Ppc, dW, and (W - D)/D at 60 min: 5.6 +/- 0.4 cmH2O, +0.168 +/- 0.0.052 g, and 6....