Hepatic effects of an open lung strategy and cardiac output restoration in an experimental lung injury

Hepatic effects of lung-protective pressure-controlled ventilation and a combination of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and extracorporeal lung assist in experimental lung injury

Background

Ventilation with high positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) can lead to hepatic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate the hepatic effects of strategies using high airway pressures either in pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV) or in high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) combined with an arteriovenous extracorporeal lung assist (ECLA).

Material/Methods

Pietrain pigs underwent induction of lung injury by saline lavage. Ventilation was continued for 24 hours either as PCV with tidal volumes of 6 ml/kg and PEEP 3 cmH₂O above the lower inflection point of the pressure-volume curve or as HFOV (≥12 Hz) with a mean tracheal airway pressure 3 cmH₂O above the lower inflection point combined with arteriovenous ECLA (HFOV+ECLA). Fluids and norepinephrine stabilized the circulation. The indocyanine green plasma disappearance rate, serum bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, γ-glutamyltransferase, alkaline phosphatase, glutamate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase were determined repeatedly. Finally, liver neutrophils were counted and liver cell apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick end labeling (TUNEL).

Results

Aspartate aminotransferase increased in the PCV group about three-fold and in the HFOV+ECLA group five-fold (p<0.001). Correspondingly, creatine kinase increased about two-fold and four-fold, respectively (p<0.001). Lactate dehydrogenase was increased in the HFOV+ECLA group (p<0.028). The number of neutrophils infiltrating the liver tissue and the apoptotic index were low.

Conclusions

High airway pressure PCV and HFOV with ECLA in the treatment of lavage-induced lung injury in pigs did not cause liver dysfunction or damage. The detected elevation of enzymes might be of extrahepatic origin.

Pulmonary effects of positive end-expiratory pressure and fluid therapy in experimental lung injury

The separate effects of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and intravascular volume administration on the histopathologic lung injury were not investigated in experimental lung injury previously. The authors hypothesized that high PEEP and a restrictive volume therapy would yield the best oxygenation and the least degree of lung injury. Pigs (52.8 ± 3.4 kg) underwent saline lavage-induced lung injury. The animals were ventilated either with low PEEP (mean PEEP 9 to 12 cm H₂O) and liberal volume therapy using hydroxyethyl starch (LowP/Vol+) or high PEEP (mean PEEP 21 cm H₂O) combined with recruitment maneuvers and liberal (HighP/Vol+) or restrictive volume therapy (HighP/Vol-). After 6.5 hours, lung injury was determined by using a histopathologic score evaluating overdistension, edema, exsudation, and inflammation. When volume therapy was liberal, high PEEP (HighP/Vol+) improved the Pao₂/Fio₂ index (416 ± 80 mm Hg) compared to low PEEP (LowP/Vol+, 189 ± 55 mm Hg; P < .05) but there was no difference in the median (interquartile range) lung injury score: 1.6 (1.2-1.9) and 1.9 (1.4-2.0). High PEEP with restrictive volume therapy (HighP/Vol-) did not further improve oxygenation (400 ± 55 mm Hg) but ameliorated the degree of lung injury: 0.9 (0.8-1.4) (P < .05). In lavage-induced lung injury, high PEEP improved oxygenation, but restrictive volume administration markedly reduced the lung injury score, mainly by reduced edema.