AJP - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Vol 256, Issue 6 1524-H1531, Copyright © 1989 by American Physiological Society
Increased lymphatic elimination of interstitial hyaluronan during E. coli sepsis in sheep
L. Lebel, L. Smith, B. Risberg, T. C. Laurent and B. Gerdin
Department of Experimental Medicine, Pharmacia, University of Uppsala, Sweden.
The effect of septicemia on the elimination of hyaluronan (HA) from the
lung interstitium was investigated in awake sheep with chronic lung lymph
and thoracic duct fistulas. The result was compared with that after
elevation of left atrial pressure (LAP). Lymph was sampled before and after
a 20-min infusion of Escherichia coli (10(9) bacteria/kg body wt.), after
elevation of LAP, or both. Infusion of E. coli caused an increased flux of
HA in lung lymph and thoracic duct lymph. After an elevation of LAP, the HA
flux in lung lymph was increased to a comparable extent. In animals
subjected to an increase in LAP and subsequently to infusion of E. coli, no
additive effect on HA flux was seen. The weight-average molecular weight of
HA in lung lymph was increased both after sepsis and after elevation of
LAP. The findings show that sepsis and elevated transvascular hydrostatic
pressure result in increased mobilization of HA from the interstitium. This
might partly explain the increased HA concentrations in plasma in clinical
sepsis and may also lead to a change in the characteristics of the
interstitial matrix in this condition.
