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K L Brigham

Publications and source records attributed to K L Brigham.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Airway responsiveness in isolated perfused rat lungs: effect of thoracic irradiation.

We developed techniques for assessing airway reactivity in isolated perfused rat lungs by measuring the lung mechanics changes produced by injection of ACh into the pulmonary circulation. Lung resistance (RL) and dynamic compliance (Cdyn) changed in a dose-response fashion after ACh. We used the preparation to examine the effect of thoracic irradiation on airway responsiveness and pulmonary inflammation. Groups of rats were studied after sham irradiation or 24 h or 72 h after a single dose of 1500 rads. Thoracic irradiation did not alter baseline lung mechanics, but did increase the responsiveness of rat lungs to ACh 72 h after radiation. Radiation was not associated with an increase in neutrophils in lung lavage, airways or peripheral lung tissue. We conclude that thoracic irradiation alters airways reactivity without causing overt pulmonary inflammation, and that isolated perfused lungs can be useful for measurement of airway reactivity.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1989

In vivo transfection of murine lungs with a functioning prokaryotic gene using a liposome vehicle.

The authors report successful in vivo transfection of lungs of mice with a functioning prokaryotic gene encoding the intracellular enzyme, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). Transfection was accomplished by injecting a plasmid containing the coding region for CAT driven by the SV40 early promoter (pSV2CAT) complexed to specially synthesized cationic liposomes. Intravenous or intratracheal injection of DNA-liposomes resulted in expression of the CAT gene in the lungs, persisting for at least a week, with little enzyme activity detectable in systemic organs. This method should permit either transient or stable in vivo transfection of the lungs with a gene encoding any protein of interest, providing a powerful experimental tool and potentially a novel and broadly applicable clinical therapeutic technique.

Acetylation↗
PubMed1989

Unilateral radiation pneumonitis in sheep: physiological changes and bronchoalveolar lavage.

Radiation pneumonitis is a life-threatening result of therapeutic thoracic irradiation, yet its mechanisms are poorly understood. We studied the effects of unilateral lung irradiation (3,000 rad) in sheep from the immediate response to the later development of radiation pneumonitis. We defined radiation pneumonitis by its diagnostic clinical feature, radiographic infiltration of the irradiated zone with a straight margin corresponding to the radiation port. The immediate response in the few hours after irradiation was characterized by cough, labored respiration, hypoxemia (arterial PO2 decreased 19 Torr), mild pulmonary hypertension (pulmonary arterial pressure increased 20%), and lymphopenia. Hemodynamics and gas exchange returned to normal by day 2 but became abnormal again before or during radiation pneumonitis at 32 +/- 2 days. Respiratory distress, hypoxemia, and pulmonary hypertension recurred during radiation pneumonitis. Bronchoalveolar lavage during radiation pneumonitis contained increased neutrophils (19 +/- 4%, control = 7%), increased protein (0.27 +/- 0.1 g/dl, control = 0.12 +/- 0.03), and severely impaired ability to lower surface tension. Alveolar macrophages from both lungs during unilateral radiation pneumonitis exhibited impaired generation of superoxide after phorbol myristate (only a 30% increase). Normal control alveolar macrophages increased superoxide production after stimulation greater than 400%. We conclude that unilateral lung irradiation in sheep causes a mild immediate response followed by radiation pneumonitis at 1 mo. Unilateral radiation pneumonitis in this model is associated with ipsilateral neutrophilic alveolitis, increased bronchoalveolar lavage protein, and impaired surfactant function, as well as bilateral functional abnormalities of alveolar macrophages.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Human recombinant tumor necrosis factor alpha infusion mimics endotoxemia in awake sheep.

The macrophage-derived cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) has been proposed as the major mediator of endotoxin-induced injury. To examine whether a single infusion of human recombinant TNF alpha (rTNF alpha) reproduces the pulmonary effects of endotoxemia, we infused rTNF alpha (0.01 mg/kg) over 30 min into six chronically instrumented awake sheep and assessed the ensuing changes in hemodynamics, lung lymph flow and protein concentration, and number of peripheral blood and lung lymph leukocytes. In addition, levels of thromboxane B2, 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha, prostaglandin E2, and leukotriene B4 were measured in lung lymph. Pulmonary arterial pressure (Ppa) peaked within 15 min of the start of rTNF alpha infusion [base-line Ppa = 22.0 +/- 1.5 (SE) cmH2O; after 15 min of rTNF alpha infusion, Ppa = 54.2 +/- 5.4] and then fell toward base line. The pulmonary hypertension was accompanied by hypoxemia and peripheral blood and lung lymph leukopenia, both of which persisted throughout the 4 h of study. These changes were followed by an increase in protein-rich lung lymph flow (base-line lymph protein clearance = 1.8 +/- 0.4 cmH2O; 3 h after rTNF alpha infusion, clearance = 5.6 +/- 1.2), consistent with an increase in pulmonary microvascular permeability. Cardiac output and left atrial pressure did not change significantly throughout the experiment. Light-microscopic examination of lung tissue at autopsy revealed congestion, neutrophil sequestration, and patchy interstitial edema. We conclude that rTNF alpha induces a response in awake sheep remarkable similar to that of endotoxemia. Because endotoxin is a known stimulant of TNF alpha production, TNF alpha may mediate endotoxin-induced lung injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Allergen-stimulated release of mediators into sheep bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Effect of cyclooxygenase inhibition.

Products of arachidonic acid have been implicated as potential mediators of allergic airway responses in sheep and in humans. We therefore measured the release of arachidonate metabolites into sheep bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) after local instillation of Ascaris antigen, using a highly specific and sensitive approach, gas chromatography-negative ion-chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Allergen instillation caused increases in the levels of the potent bronchoconstrictors prostaglandin (PG) D2 and thromboxane (TX) A2 (as reflected by levels of TXB2) and of their enzymatic metabolites, 9 alpha, 11 beta-PGF2 and 11-dehydro-TXB2, respectively. Potential bronchodilators, PGI2 and PGE2, were also formed in increased amounts. Levels of the 5-lipoxygenase products, leukotriene (LT) B4 and C4, were not significantly increased. Pretreatment of sheep with cyclooxygenase inhibitors was associated with a decrease in the release of cyclooxygenase products and a concomitant increase in the allergen-stimulated release of LTB4 and LTC4. Eicosanoids are formed promptly in vivo in sheep after allergen instillation: inhibition of cyclooxygenase results in augmented generation of leukotrienes in the airways of sensitive sheep in response to antigen challenge.

Allergens↗
PubMed1989

Expression of a prokaryotic gene in cultured lung endothelial cells after lipofection with a plasmid vector.

Transfection of cultured cells with functioning foreign genes can be a powerful tool for delineating mechanisms controlling gene expression and for manipulating cellular synthetic machinery. We transfected cultured bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells with a plasmid (pRSVCAT) containing the prokaryotic gene, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), driven by a Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) promoter. Transfection was accomplished by binding the plasmid DNA to specially synthesized cationic liposomes and incubating cell monolayers with the liposome-DNA complex (a process called lipofection). We found marked CAT expression in endothelial cells by 24 h after lipofection (complete chloramphenicol acetylation in a 4-h assay incubation with less than 0.1 mg cell protein). Marked CAT expression persisted after splitting the cells 1:2 at 6 days after lipofection. Detectable CAT activity was present 14 days after lipofection following two 1:2 splits of the cells. CAT expression was related to the quantity of plasmid DNA used for lipofection; 1.0 micrograms DNA per 60-mm dish of cells resulted in less CAT activity at 48 h than did 5 or 10 micrograms DNA per dish. Ten micrograms of DNA-liposome complex per dish caused substantial numbers of endothelial cells to detach from the dish, but little cytotoxic effect was seen with 5 or 1 micrograms DNA-liposome complex per dish. This simple, highly efficient method for introducing functioning foreign genes into cultured endothelial cells will permit a broad range of studies of molecular mechanisms of endothelial cell function and studies of the consequences of highly specific modifications in protein synthesis on endothelial responses.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Lung vascular permeability changes in lambs with hyaline membrane disease.

To investigate the mechanism of pulmonary edema in hyaline membrane disease (HMD), lymph from the efferent duct of the mediastinal lymph node was collected in premature lambs before and after delivery by cesarean section. Mean lymph flow in 7 lambs with histologically verified HMD increased progressively over 4 h after delivery to 3 times the fetal value, while lymph flow in 7 lambs without HMD increased to 3.5 times at 1 h and decreased thereafter. At 4 h after birth, lung lymph flow was significantly higher in lambs with HMD than in lambs without HMD (0.70 +/- 0.15 (SEM) vs 0.43 +/- 0.07 ml.h-1.kg-1). Lymph/plasma concentration ratio for small endogenous protein fractions (effective molecular radius, 3.6 and 3.8 nm) was significantly higher in lambs with HMD than in lambs without HMD at 2-4 h. Postmortem extravascular lung water was significantly higher in lambs with HMD (6.1 +/- 0.5 vs 4.3 +/- 0.3 ml/g dry lung weight). It is concluded that lung water is high in lambs with HMD, which appears to be a result both of delayed absorption of fetal lung liquid and increased permeability of the pulmonary exchange vessels.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Phagocytic and motile properties of endothelial cells measured magnetometrically: effects of endotoxin.

Endothelial cells lining the vasculature share some properties with macrophages and neutrophils in that they can take up material from the blood and are known to migrate, particularly during wound healing. We observed that endothelial cells isolated from bovine pulmonary arteries ingested magnetic iron oxide particles during culture in vitro. Using a non-optical, magnetometric method, we examined motions of magnetic-particle containing intracellular vacuoles. We demonstrated that these organelles move within endothelial cells, but at a slower rate than phagosomes within macrophages. Magnetometry was used to show that incubation with endotoxin (10 micrograms/ml) for 4 hr resulted in a decrease in cytoplasmic movement; yet the fluidity of the cytoplasm was increased, as measured by intracellular particle response to forced motion. We conclude that intracellular magnetic probe particles can detect vesicular motion in endothelial cells, and that endotoxin exposure can affect endothelial cells directly, altering their physical properties; these alterations precede ultrastructural evidence of cell death.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Corticosteroids inhibit endotoxin-induced lung lymph neutrophil stimulating activity in sheep.

The Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) most frequently is the result of sepsis. Accumulation of neutrophils in lung interstitium is a well-documented phenomenon, but the nature of their presence remains obscure. We hypothesized that endotoxin causes the release of substances into lung lymph that activate neutrophils and that methylprednisolone may prevent sequestration and activation of neutrophils. We used the sheep lung lymph fistula-endotoxin model of ARDS to test this hypothesis. Unanesthetized animals were given either 0.5 microgram/kg of E. coli endotoxin intravenously alone or, on a different experimental day, an identical dose of endotoxin preceded by a 1 gm bolus of methylprednisolone plus a 1 gm/hr continuous infusion. Endotoxin infusion caused the release of substances into lung lymph that were capable of stimulating normal sheep neutrophils to aggregate, migrate, and release superoxide. This activity appeared within 1 hour of endotoxin and persisted for at least 4 hours. Pretreatment by methylprednisolone did not prevent the early activity but did significantly reduce such activity 3-4 hours after endotoxin, when the permeability defects caused by endotoxin are most pronounced. We speculate that endotoxin-stimulated production of humoral neutrophil-activating substances in the lung may play a role in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Endotoxin-induced neutrophilic alveolitis and macrophage chemotaxin production in sheep.

The mechanism(s) responsible for endotoxin-induced pulmonary leukostasis has not yet been elucidated. We studied ten unanesthetized sheep by performing serial bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) before and after infusing Escherichia coli endotoxin to determine whether or not neutrophils appeared in the airways and whether or not endotoxemia stimulated alveolar macrophages to produce neutrophil chemotactic activity. The absolute number and percentage of neutrophils recoverable by BAL increased significantly at 24 hours after infusion of endotoxin. Alveolar macrophages isolated from the BAL of sheep after endotoxemia produced a substance that is chemotactic for neutrophils, a response that is also maximal 24 hours after endotoxin infusion. We conclude that endotoxemia causes migration of neutrophils into lung air spaces and that this response may result from in vivo production of a chemotactic factor(s) by activated alveolar macrophages.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Prostaglandin E2 attenuation of sheep lung responses to endotoxin.

Prostaglandin (PG) E2 can inhibit inflammatory responses of neutrophils and lymphocytes, including eicosanoid release. Diffuse lung injury after endotoxemia in sheep is accompanied by sequestration of neutrophils and lymphocytes in the lungs, and eicosanoids mediate some of the pathophysiology of the response. To determine whether exogenous PGE2 could prevent the endotoxin response, we measured pulmonary hemodynamics, gas exchange, and lung lymph responses to infusion of Escherichia coli endotoxin (0.5 micrograms/kg iv over 30 min) in unanesthetized sheep in the presence and absence of PGE2 (0.5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) infused intravenously for 4 h beginning 0.5 h before endotoxin infusion. We also measured lung lymph concentrations of thromboxane B2 (TxB2) and prostacyclin metabolite, 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-keto-PGF1 alpha), by radioimmunoassay and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. PGE2 decreased endotoxin-induced pulmonary hypertension and hypoxemia and markedly attenuated the lymph flow and lymph protein clearance responses. PGE2 also attenuated endotoxin-induced increases in lung lymph TxB2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and decreased lymph LTB4 flow after endotoxin without decreasing lymph LTB4 concentrations. We conclude that PGE2 infusion attenuates lung dysfunction caused by endotoxemia, possibly by preventing endogenous release of other eicosanoids.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1988

Antiproteinases protect cultured lung endothelial cells from endotoxin injury.

To determine whether the effects of endotoxin on cultured lung endothelium involve proteolytic mechanisms, we incubated bovine pulmonary arterial endothelial cells with endotoxin in medium 199 + 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) in the presence and absence of several proteinase inhibitors. Three chloromethyl ketone (CK) derivatives [N-tosyl-L-lysine (CK)-(TLCK), N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine CK(TPCK), methoxysuccinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Val CK(SPCK)] and a single synthetic proteinase substrate [N-alpha-p-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (TAME)] attenuated endotoxin-induced cytotoxicity (lactate dehydrogenase release) and prostacyclin production in a dose-related fashion. The most effective inhibitors of endotoxin-induced cytotoxicity were TLCK and TPCK. TLCK and TAME most effectively attenuated endotoxin-stimulated prostacyclin production. Two chemically unrelated substances, soybean trypsin inhibitor and alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor also attenuated the endotoxin response. In the absence of FBS or in the presence of 10% heat-inactivated FBS, antiproteases attenuated endotoxin-induced prostacyclin production but had less effect on cytotoxicity than with 10% FBS. We also measured the capacity of the CK inhibitors to scavenge superoxide radicals generated in a cell-free xanthine/xanthine oxidase system by measuring inhibition of cytochrome c reduction. Percent scavenging of superoxide by these inhibitors was as follows: TLCK, 62.7 +/- 5.8 (SE); TPCK, 83.9 +/- 7.7; TAME, 24.5 +/- 6.4; SPCK, 0. We conclude that certain proteinase inhibitors attenuate endotoxin-induced endothelial cytotoxicity and prostacyclin production and that direct scavenging of superoxide radicals fails to explain the protective effects of proteinase inhibition. We speculate that the effects of endotoxin on lung endothelium may involve proteolytic mechanisms even in the absence of neutrophils.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1988

Verapamil attenuates lung vascular responses to endotoxin in sheep.

Experiments were conducted on five chronically instrumented unanesthetized sheep to determine the effects of verapamil, a calcium channel inhibitor, on the pulmonary hemodynamic and microvascular permeability responses to endotoxemia. Paired control endotoxemia experiments (E) and endotoxemia with verapamil treatment (30-60 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) experiments (V + E) were conducted on each sheep in random order. In the V + E experiments sheep were pretreated with a continuous intravenous infusion of verapamil 1.5-2.0 h before endotoxin infusion (1.0 microgram/kg, given over 15 min). Verapamil significantly increased base-line pulmonary arterial pressure, left atrial pressure, lung lymph flow rate, and circulating blood leukocyte levels and significantly decreased base-line cardiac output. During the endotoxin response, verapamil significantly attenuated both phase I pulmonary arterial hypertension and phase II lung lymph flow rate compared with control endotoxin experiments. The results indicate that verapamil attenuates both the pulmonary hemodynamic and increased lung microvascular permeability response to endotoxin in sheep. In a series of in vitro experiments, verapamil was found to be a potent inhibitor of phorbol myristate acetate-induced superoxide production in isolated sheep granulocytes. These data suggest that the beneficial in vivo effects of verapamil during endotoxemia may in part be due to its inhibition of increased free cytosol calcium concentration and/or inhibition of toxic O2 metabolite production.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Corticosteroids prevent acute lung dysfunction caused by thoracic irradiation in unanesthetized sheep.

We sought to determine the effect of corticosteroid therapy in a new acute model of oxidant lung injury, thoracic irradiation in awake sheep. Sheep were irradiated with 1,500 rads to the whole chest except for blocking the heart and adjacent ventral lung. Seven experimental sheep were given methylprednisolone (1 g intravenously every 6 h for four doses) and thoracic irradiation; control sheep received only irradiation. In irradiated control sheep, lung lymph flow increased from baseline (7.6 ml/h) to peak at 3 h (13.2), and lung lymph protein clearance increased from 5.1 to 9.7 ml/h. Mean pulmonary artery pressure increased in the irradiated control sheep from 19 to 32.4 cm H2O, whereas the lung lymph thromboxane concentration increased from 0.09 to 6.51 ng/ml at 3 h. Arterial oxygen tension in irradiated control sheep fell gradually from 86 mm Hg at baseline to 65 mm Hg at 8 h. Methylprednisolone administration significantly prevented the increase in lung lymph protein clearance, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and lung lymph thromboxane concentration. Methylprednisolone also prevented the fall in arterial oxygen tension after thoracic irradiation, but did not prevent a further decrease in lymphocytes in blood or lung lymph after radiation. We conclude that corticosteroid therapy prevents most of the acute physiologic changes caused by thoracic irradiation in awake sheep.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1988

Attenuation of endotoxin-induced cytotoxicity and prostacyclin production in cultured bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells by phosphodiesterase inhibition.

Exposure of cultured bovine pulmonary endothelial cells to endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) causes cytotoxicity and increased prostacyclin production. Since cyclic nucleotides have been proposed as modulators of inflammation, we wondered whether they were involved in LPS-induced endothelial damage. Bovine pulmonary endothelial cells were exposed for 24 h to LPS and the effects of 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine (MIX), a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, dibutyryl cyclic AMP (db-cAMP), forskolin (an adenylate cyclase activator), and sodium nitroprusside (an agent known to stimulate intracellular cyclic GMP generation) on LPS-induced injury were determined. Injury was assessed by measurement of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (activity) and prostacyclin (6-keto-PGF1 alpha) in the bathing medium. Incubation with MIX attenuated LPS-induced endothelial cytotoxicity and prostacyclin production in a dose-dependent manner (ANOVA, p less than 0.001). Dibutyryl cyclic AMP also inhibited LPS-stimulated LDH release from the endothelial cells but did not suppress increased prostacyclin production. The combinations of MIX and dibutyryl cyclic AMP produced protection similar to that of MIX alone. Neither nitroprusside nor forskolin affected LPS-induced endothelial injury. Measurements of intracellular cyclic nucleotide concentrations showed that MIX caused marked increases in both cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP within 30 min of incubation, while forskolin and nitroprusside failed to cause such early elevations. Thus, phosphodiesterase inhibition protects endothelial cells from the effects of LPS. Increased intracellular concentrations of cyclic AMP also protect endothelial cells from LPS-induced cytotoxicity but do not alter the prostanoid response. We conclude that increased intracellular concentrations of cyclic AMP protect against LPS-induced endothelial cytotoxicity if present early in the exposure. We further conclude that LPS-mediated endothelial cytotoxicity can be separated from increased prostacyclin production.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed1988

Early structural changes in sheep lung following thoracic irradiation.

Using a large animal model of radiation lung injury--the sheep exposed to bilateral thoracic irradiation--we have recently shown the development of sustained pulmonary hypertension during the first 4 weeks following radiation. This is the period prior to the onset of pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis. In the present study, we have examined biopsy and autopsy lung tissue from these same sheep and assessed the sequential changes in lung morphology. Six unanesthetized sheep received bilateral thoracic irradiation (a total of 15 Gy); control sheep were sham irradiated. Lung biopsy tissue was taken prior to and at weekly or biweekly intervals during the 4 weeks immediately following radiation. The lungs were also removed at autopsy for light and electron microscopic examination. Our results show early (Week 1) interstitial and progressive intraalveolar edema accompanied by endothelial and epithelial injury. A gradual increase in number of interstitial mononuclear cells was evident from Week 1, both in the lung tissue and in perivascular cuffs. The number of peripheral lung interstitial mononuclear cells was twice baseline from Week 3 and included accumulation of lymphocytes, fibroblasts, and intravascular macrophages. The increased numbers of mononuclear cells paralleled the development of chronic pulmonary hypertension, perhaps suggesting their involvement in the pathogenesis of this disease. Alternatively, it may be that increased mononuclear cell number represents a stage of lung repair.

Animals↗