Depletion of alveolar macrophages attenuates hypoxic pulmonary hypertension but not hypoxia-induced increase in serum concentration of MCP-1.

Exposure to hypoxia, leading to hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH), is associated with activation of alveolar macrophages (AM). However, it remains unclear how AM participate in this process. There are studies which imply that the AM product monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) plays an important role.

Pre-arrest administration of the cell-permeable free radical scavenger tempol reduces warm ischemic damage of lung function in non-heart-beating donors.

Background: Lungs retrieved from non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs) may alleviate the shortage of suitable organs for transplantation. The critical point is the preservation of lungs during warm ischemia, when severe damage is caused by free radicals. We investigated the effect of ventilation, pre-arrest administration of heparin, and the cell-permeable free radical scavenger, tempol, on the function of NHBD grafts.

Prevention of mast cell degranulation by disodium cromoglycate attenuates the development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in rats exposed to chronic hypoxia.

Background: Chronic hypoxia induces lung vascular remodeling, which results in pulmonary hypertension. Vascular remodeling is associated with collagenolysis and activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). One of the possible sources of MMPs in hypoxic lung are mast cells.

Pulmonary vascular iNOS induction participates in the onset of chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.

Pathogenesis of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension is initiated by oxidative injury to the pulmonary vascular wall. Because nitric oxide (NO) can contribute to oxidative stress and because the inducible isoform of NO synthase (iNOS) is often upregulated in association with tissue injury, we hypothesized that iNOS-derived NO participates in the pulmonary vascular wall injury at the onset of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. An effective and selective dose of an iNOS inhibitor, L-N6-(1-iminoethyl)lysine (L-NIL), for chronic peroral treatment was first determined (8 mg/l in drinking water) by measuring exhaled NO concentration and systemic arterial pressure after LPS injection under ketamine+xylazine anesthesia.

N-acetylcysteine inhibits hypoxic pulmonary hypertension most effectively in the initial phase of chronic hypoxia.

Exposure to chronic hypoxia results in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH). In rats HPH develops during the first two weeks of exposure to hypoxia, then it stabilizes and does not increase in severity. We hypothesize that free radical injury to pulmonary vascular wall is an important mechanism in the early days of the hypoxic exposure.