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Complex effects of in vitro hyperoxia on alveolar macrophage arachidonic acid metabolism.

Metabolites of arachidonic acid (AA) released into bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of animals exposed to hyperoxia have previously been implicated as mediators of pulmonary oxygen toxicity. The alveolar macrophage (AM) represents an important potential source of these eicosanoids. We have therefore investigated the effects of in vitro hyperoxia (95% O2/5% CO2) versus normoxia (95% air/5% CO2) on the metabolism of AA in the AM of the rat. Exposure to 95% O2 for up to 72 h did not impair the viability or affect the protein content of cultured AMs. Hyperoxia for 24 to 72 h increased the accumulation of free AA liberated from endogenous stores in cultures of resting AMs. Despite this increase in free AA, no changes in synthesis of thromboxane B2, prostaglandin (PG) E2, PGF2 alpha, leukotriene (LT) B4, or LTC4 were observed in resting AMs exposed to hyperoxia for up to 72 h. This was not due to degradation of eicosanoids in hyperoxia. However, formation of cyclooxygenase metabolites from exogenously supplied AA was reduced in hyperoxia-incubated AMs, suggesting that hyperoxia inhibited the cyclooxygenase enzyme. In AMs stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187, both AA release and synthesis of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase eicosanoids were augmented after incubation in hyperoxia for 24 to 72 h. The increase in A23187-stimulated LTB4 synthesis caused by hyperoxia was inhibited by the antioxidants catalase, superoxide dismutase, and the intracellular cysteine loading agent L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid, suggesting that the augmentation by hyperoxia of A23187-induced AA metabolism was mediated by reactive oxygen metabolites. Thus, hyperoxia has complex effects on AA metabolism in the AM, which include the ability to augment the release of AA and formation of bioactive eicosanoids. These findings support a possible role for eicosanoid synthesis by the AM in the pathogenesis of oxygen toxicity of the lung.

Animals

Effects of hyperoxia and beta-adrenergic stimulation on pulmonary surfactant in neonatal rabbits.

To study the effects of hyperoxia and beta-adrenergic stimulation on pulmonary surfactant in the neonatal lung, we measured disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) and [14C]choline incorporation into DSPC, obtained from alveolar lavage and lung tissue. We used an isolated salt-perfused rabbit lung preparation from neonatal rabbits exposed to room air or greater than 95% oxygen for 3 days. There were four experimental groups: room air, basal condition; room air, beta-adrenergic stimulation; hyperoxia, basal conditions; and hyperoxia, beta-adrenergic stimulation. Hyperoxia caused a significant decrease in lavage and intracellular [14C]DSPC specific activity, and a decrease in intracellular DSPC suggesting depressed surfactant synthesis. Beta-stimulation in room air caused a decrease in lavage DSPC, an increase in DSPC, and [14C]DSPC fraction released, consistent with increased uptake for reutilization. With hyperoxia and beta-stimulation, there is an increase in total DSPC in the lavage; lavage [14C]DSPC specific activity is similar to that of the basal hyperoxia group (i.e., depressed compared with the room air state); intracellular [14C]DSPC specific activity does not differ from basal, hyperoxia, or beta-stimulated, room air groups, all being depressed compared with basal, room air conditions. Intracellular DSPC in the beta-stimulated group is less affected by hyperoxia than the basal groups. It appears that prolonged exposure to hyperoxia is manifested primarily by a decrease in [14C]DSPC specific activity suggesting alterations in surfactant synthesis, though DSPC in the lavage is not altered. Beta-adrenergic stimulation may enhance release of newly synthesized surfactant into the alveoli, and possibly enhances uptake for reutilization. The enhancement of surfactant release seems to be preserved after prolonged hyperoxia.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists

Ventilation, cardiac output and blood respiratory parameters in the carp, Cyprinus carpio, during hyperoxia.

The specific ventilatory flow rate (Vw), cardiac output (Vb) and blood respiratory parameters were determined in the carp (Cyprinus carpio) during hyperoxia. Vb changed little during moderate hyperoxia (240-330 Torr) but slightly increased during extreme hyperoxia (430-490 Torr) while Vw decreased. This means that the ventilation-perfusion ratio considerably decreased during hyperoxia. The CO2 tension (PCO2) of blood rose, causing a corresponding decrease in blood pH. The O2 tensions (PO2) of arterial and mixed venous blood increased but remained low (about 40 Torr and 15 Torr, respectively). Consequently, the hemoglobin in the arterial and mixed venous blood was not saturated with O2 (about 80 and 55%, respectively) even during extreme hyperoxia. This indicates that most of the O2 which is consumed by the fish remains transported in a combined form during hyperoxia. During hyperoxia, when the decreased Vw was artificially elevated to the normoxic level, the PO2 of arterial blood (PaO2) rose further and the PCO2 and pH of arterial blood became restored to the normoxic levels. This suggests that the CO2 retention and the depressed increase in PaO2 during hyperoxia are mainly due to the decrease in Vw in the carp.

Animals

Increased lung copper-zinc-superoxide dismutase activity and absence of magnetic resonance imaging-detectable lung damage in copper-deficient rats exposed to hyperoxia.

The effects of hyperoxia on physiological responses, pathological lung lesions detected noninvasively by proton magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the oxygen free radical defense enzymes were measured in Cu-deficient rats. Exposure to 85% oxygen seemed to impose a stress on the whole animal as indicated by two physiological responses, decreased food intake and decreased body weight of ad libitum-fed rats. However, all rats exposed to 85% oxygen, including the Cu-deficient group, were able to survive 1 wk of hyperoxia exposure. The target organ specificity for hyperoxia exposure was in the lung as indicated by the increased lung:body weight ratio in all hyperoxia-exposed rats regardless of dietary treatment. All dietary treatment groups exposed to hyperoxia had a similar increase in lung:body weight ratio, but none of the hyperoxia-exposed rats had MRI-detectable lung damage. After 7 d of hyperoxia exposure, all dietary treatment groups, including the Cu-deficient rats, had increased activity of lung CuZn-superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), but changes in CuZnSOD activity were not related to lung Cu or Zn concentrations. We propose that the ability to increase CuZnSOD activity is the most important factor of the enzymatic oxygen free radical defense system for protection against hyperoxia-induced lung damage detected by MRI. Even though lung Cu concentration was decreased in Cu deficiency, it seems that Cu-deficient rats are still able to increase lung CuZnSOD activity in response to 85% oxygen exposure.

Animals

Effect of dexamethasone on pulmonary surfactant metabolism in hyperoxia-treated rat lungs.

We have examined the effect of dexamethasone on the metabolism of pulmonary surfactant in normal and hyperoxia-treated rats. The relative abundance of the surfactant-specific apoprotein A (SP-A) mRNA in lung tissues and the contents of disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) and SP-A were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids and in lung tissues in 4-wk-old rats exposed to room air or greater than 90% oxygen for 7 d with or without simultaneous treatment with dexamethasone (0.5 mg/kg body wt for 7 d). The relative abundance of the SP-A mRNA was marginally increased by hyperoxia (1.3-fold over controls). Dexamethasone increased the relative abundance of the SP-A mRNA to a level comparable to that with hyperoxia treatment (1.5-fold over controls). In lavage fluids, the contents of DSPC and SP-A were increased by 4- and 6-fold over controls by hyperoxia, respectively, but they were increased only by 2-fold by dexamethasone. In lung tissues, the contents of DSPC and SP-A were increased by 3- and 2-fold over controls by hyperoxia, respectively. These values in lung tissues in the air-exposed rats were not significantly increased by dexamethasone. In hyperoxia-treated rats, dexamethasone did not significantly affect the relative abundance of the SP-A mRNA level and the contents of DSPC and SP-A in lavage fluids and lung tissues. These results indicate that mechanisms other than increased synthesis of SP-A are involved in hyperoxia-induced SP-A accumulation and that dexamethasone does not affect the abnormal accumulation of pulmonary surfactant induced by hyperoxia.

Animals

Glutathione redox cycle is an important defense system of endothelial cells against chronic hyperoxia.

Exposure of cultured pulmonary artery endothelial cells to 95% O2 resulted in the following sequence of events: decrease in [3H]thymidine incorporation after 24 h; increase of intracellular glutathione (GSH) and loss of cellular protein after 48 h; increase of spontaneous and decrease of provoked prostacyclin formation as well as increased release of cellular LDH after 72 h. This oxygen toxicity model was used to study the following 2 questions. (1) What is the relative importance of the GSH redox cycle compared to catalase as antioxidative defense against hyperoxia? Endothelial cells were grown in selenium-depleted medium to inhibit glutathione peroxidase activity. Endothelial GSH biosynthesis was inhibited by buthionine sulfoximine. Catalase activity was reduced by aminotriazole. Endothelial cells with an impaired GSH redox cycle were easily killed by hyperoxia within 24 h, while inhibition of catalase did not enhance the susceptibility of endothelial cells to hyperoxia. (2) Can endothelial GSH content be increased by exogenous sulfhydryl reagents and does this result in an increase of endothelial cells' resistance to hyperoxia? Exogenous GSH, N-acetylcysteine, cysteine, and L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate (L-2-oxo) increased intracellular GSH. All sulfhydryl reagents (with the exception of L-2-oxo) protected endothelial cells from hyperoxia. Concentrations of exogenous GSH and N-acetylcysteine that did not increase intracellular GSH reduced hyperoxia-induced endothelial cell injury. Thus the capacity of the GSH redox cycle rather than intracellular GSH levels or catalase determines endothelial cells' resistance to hyperoxia.

Animals

Effect of iron chelators on the cytotoxic and genotoxic action of hyperoxia in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

The iron chelators o-phenanthroline and desferrioxamine were tested for their ability to protect Chinese hamster ovary cells against the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of normobaric hyperoxia. Desferrioxamine added at sub-toxic concentrations (up to 2.5 microM) over a period of several days had no protective effect on hyperoxia-induced clonogenic cell killing and growth inhibition. The clastogenic effect of hyperoxia was strongly potentiated by desferrioxamine, while the induction of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) by hyperoxia was unaffected. Similarly, o-phenanthroline (up to 0.25 microM) had no protective effect on hyperoxia-induced cell killing, growth inhibition, and SCE induction, while also this compound potentiated the clastogenic effect of hyperoxia. These results do not support a critical role for cellular iron in the mechanism of toxicity by normobaric hyperoxia in CHO cells. However, the results may still be consistent with a critical involvement of particular iron fraction(s) not susceptible to the chelators used. Furthermore, our results show that concentrations of iron chelators known to protect against short-term (up to 1 h) toxic exposure to oxidative stress become toxic themselves when applied chronically, i.e., in the order of days.

Animals

Hydrogen peroxide release from alveolar macrophages and alveolar type II cells during adaptation to hyperoxia in vivo.

The effect of hyperoxia (1-14 days, 85% O2) on rat alveolar macrophage and alveolar type II cell oxidant and antioxidant characteristics was investigated. Unstimulated control macrophages (2 h ex vivo) released hydrogen peroxide at a rate of 3.5 +/- 1.3 nmol/min mg protein-1, which was a cyanide-sensitive process. H2O2 release from alveolar macrophages decreased slightly but not significantly after 1 day in hyperoxia and increased significantly after 3 days (180%, p less than .05) and 14 days (380%, p less than .01). When H2O2 release was expressed as nmol from total macrophages per animal, the increase after 14 days in hyperoxia was 760%. H2O2 generation by hyperoxic macrophages was cyanide resistant, indicating the involvement of active NADPH oxidase. In both control and hyperoxic macrophages H2O2 release could be significantly stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Comparisons of H2O2 release by freshly isolated alveolar macrophages and alveolar type II cells must be cautiously interpreted because some cell functions may change during the isolation procedure. Freshly isolated (6 h ex vivo) control alveolar type II cells were found to generate H2O2 at a rate of 0.26 +/- 0.05 nmol/min mg protein-1. In type II cells H2O2 release, calculated as nmol/mg protein, decreased during the first 7 days of hyperoxia to 10% (p less than .01) of the control value and then returned back up to the control level after 14 days. A similar decrease was observed if H2O2 release was calculated as nmol/cell number. H2O2 release from control and hyperoxic type II cells was cyanide sensitive. The decrease in H2O2 release in type II cells was associated with cell membrane injury (as assessed by electron microscopy), while biochemical markers of cellular injury (trypan blue exclusion and cellular high-energy phosphates ATP, ADP) were unchanged. The ability of type II cells to scavenge extracellular H2O2 did not change in acute hyperoxia, but it increased significantly during the second week in hyperoxia. These results indicate that macrophages but not type II cells are stimulated to produce H2O2 during prolonged exposure to hyperoxia.

Adaptation, Physiological

In vitro effects of hyperoxia on alveolar type II pneumocytes: inhibition of glutathione synthesis increases hyperoxic cell injury.

An in vitro model of alveolar epithelial oxidant injury was developed based on exposure to hyperoxia of cultured guinea pig type II pneumocytes using a biphasic cell culture system in aerobiosis. The present study investigates the roles of intracellular antioxidant enzymes and of glutathione in providing protection against hyperoxia. A 2-day type II cell culture in normoxia was associated with a significant decrease in protein, catalase, and Cu-Zn SOD cell content, whereas ATP cell content, Mn-SOD, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities did not change and glutathione cell content significantly increased. Exposure of type II cells to hyperoxia did not induce significant changes in cell content in protein, SOD, catalase, GPx, or glutathione cell content when compared to control cells (exposed to normoxia). With ATP cell content expressed as a cell injury index (CII), type II cell injury was found to increase with increasing O2 concentrations. Indeed, a 2-day 50% O2 and 95% O2 exposure resulted in a CII of -7.5 +/- 6.2% and 17.9 +/- 5.9%, respectively, LDH release by type II cells was not significantly increased after hypoxic exposure. Cell injury effects of hyperoxia did not correlate with the endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, Mn-SOD, catalase). In marked contrast, there was a significant correlation between the CII and total glutathione content of type II cells (p < .01). This correlation was largely due to the close relationship between CII and reduced glutathione. Hyperoxic induced cell injury (as demonstrated by CII > 0) was clearly associated with significantly lower intracellular glutathione level when compared to experiments without hyperoxia induced cell injury (CII < 0). In addition, in the presence of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), the ability of type II cells to synthetize new glutathione was severely impaired, whereas ATP cell content and cell antioxidant enzyme activities did not change. As a consequence, the reduction of intracellular glutathione significantly increased the susceptibility of cells to hyperoxia injury (p < .05). The results strongly support the hypothesis that the regulation of glutathione levels is an important mechanism in protecting hyperoxia-induced type II cell injury.

Aerobiosis

Effects of endurance training under hyperoxia on serum and tissue lipid levels in rats.

Effects of 6 weeks endurance training (5 days per week) under hyperoxia (60% O2 plus 40% N2) on serum and tissue lipid levels were investigated in male rats. Rats were divided into 4 groups: normoxia-control (NC), hyperoxia-control (HC), normoxia-training (NT), and hyperoxia-training (HT). NT and HT groups were run on a treadmill in a chamber at 20 m per min with a 6 degree gradient for 30 min. The chamber was perfused with hyperoxic gas. After training under hyperoxia, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was higher (p less than 0.01) than in the normoxic condition, but there were no changes in serum lipids and glucose, or liver and aorta cholesterol. Skeletal muscle TG and liver glycogen in hyperoxic condition tended to show the higher values. Basal lipolysis of adipose tissue was increased (p less than 0.05) by hyperoxia, and decreased (p less than 0.01) by training, but there was no change of norepinephrine induced lipolysis in any group. The results suggest that endurance training or resting under hyperoxia induces increased HDL-C or lipolytic activity of adipose tissue. These effects might be caused by greater fat oxidation during exercising or resting under hyperoxia.

Adipose Tissue

Biochemical and morphologic responses of rat nasal epithelia to hyperoxia.

While performing its functions in olfaction, modification of inspired air, and protection of the lower respiratory tract from high concentrations of potentially harmful inhalants, the nasal mucosa can be injured by a number of inhalants. In this study, F344/N male rats were exposed to filtered air or hyperoxia (85 or 87% oxygen), 24 hr/day, 7 days/week, for 1 (acute exposure) or 11 (chronic exposure) weeks. There were distinct differences between the different epithelial regions examined in replicative and morphologic responses as well as altered enzyme activities in response to oxygen exposure. Neither acute nor chronic hyperoxic exposure caused degenerative, necrotizing, or inflammatory changes in any of the nasal epithelial examined. Hyperoxia-induced hypertrophy, but not hyperplasia, of the non-ciliated cuboidal (NCC) epithelium occurred after both acute and chronic exposure. Cell replication was increased in portions of the NCC and respiratory epithelia after acute hyperoxia exposure. There were significant increases, compared to controls, in the specific activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the nasal turbinates, maxilloturbinates, and lateral wall epithelium (NCC epithelium), the nasal septum (respiratory epithelium), and the ethmoturbinates (olfactory epithelium), and in the specific activity of glutathione peroxidase in the NCC epithelium and ethmoturbinates after acute hyperoxia exposure. The specific activity of cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase-catalyzed O-deethylation of 3-cyano-7-ethoxycoumarin was significantly decreased, compared to controls, in the NCC epithelium. These results suggest that hyperoxia exposure induces morphologic and biochemical alterations in nasal epithelia which appear to be protective responses of certain cell types to hyperoxia.

Animals

Effect of hyperoxia on oxygen free radical defense enzymes in the lung of zinc-deficient rats.

The effects of hyperoxia and the response of oxygen free radical defense enzymes in the lung and extracellular environment of the lung were measured in Zn-deficient rats. Although lung was the target organ as indicated by the increased lung:body weight ratio in all hyperoxia-exposed rats regardless of dietary regimen, 85% oxygen exposure seemed to impose a stress on the whole animal as indicated by decreased feed intake and body weight in ad libitum-fed rats. Hyperoxia exposure superimposed on Zn deficiency did not further reduce the feed intake or body weight of Zn-deficient rats. After 7 d of hyperoxia exposure, the Zn-repleted and ad libitum-fed groups consistently had increased activity of lung CuZn-superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), glutathione peroxidase and catalase; but changes in CuZnSOD activity were not related to lung Cu or Zn concentrations. Although Zn-deficient and pair-fed rats were unable to increase CuZnSOD activity, they had an increased lung Zn concentration compared with their air-exposed counterparts. Hyperoxia exposure also caused an increase in ceruloplasmin activity of pair-fed and ad libitum-fed control rats. We concluded that dietary Zn repletion started at the beginning of 85% oxygen exposure was effective for increasing the activity of the lung oxygen free radical defense enzymes, thus preventing hyperoxia-induced lung damage in Zn-deficient rats.

Animals

Hyperoxia prolongs the aminoglycoside-induced postantibiotic effect in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The objective of this study was to determine whether hyperoxia enhances aminoglycoside activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The existence of tobramycin-oxygen synergy was determined by using the in vitro postantibiotic effect (PAE). P. aeruginosa strains were incubated for 1 h in medium containing tobramycin at four times the MIC in the following gas mixtures: normoxia (21% O2), hyperoxia (100% O2, 101.3 kPa), or hyperbaric oxygen (100% O2, 274.5 kPa). Tobramycin was removed after 1 h and bacteria were incubated under normoxic conditions; growth rates were measured for 5 h. Exposure of three P. aeruginosa strains to hyperoxia prolonged the PAE of tobramycin approximately twofold compared with the PAE after exposure to normoxia (P less than 0.05). Exposure of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 to tobramycin and hyperbaric oxygen prolonged the time required for bacteria to increase 1 log10 CFU/ml compared with the time after exposure for this increase to occur in tobramycin-treated, normoxic or hyperoxic groups (P less than 0.02). Pulse-chase labeling of bacteria with L-[35S]methionine, immediately after removal of tobramycin, showed that protein synthesis rates were decreased compared with those in controls (P = 0.0001). Moreover, in tobramycin-treated groups, hyperoxia and hyperbaric oxygen induced 2- and 16-fold decreases, respectively, in protein synthesis rates compared with normoxia; these results did not achieve statistical significance. In the absence of tobramycin, hyperoxia increased bacterial growth (134%; P less than 0.01) and protein synthesis (24%; not significant) compared with normoxia. Hyperbaric oxygen, however, delayed the growth recovery of bacteria (P less than 0.05). We conclude that hyperoxia enhances the bacteriostatic effects of tobramycin in a synergistic manner.+

Anti-Bacterial Agents

Stimulation of prostaglandin synthesis by hyperoxia in perinatal rat lung cells.

Prostaglandins (PGs) have been implicated in the development of pulmonary oxygen toxicity. We tested the hypothesis that hyperoxia modulates PG synthesis in a differentiation-arrested primary lung cell culture model in the rat at three developmental ages: day-20 gestation (term = 22 days), days 1 and 3 after birth. The time courses of the response to hyperoxia were defined in preconfluent lung cells as well as in growth-arrested, confluent cells. From days 4-8 after plating in growth medium containing 10% carbonstripped fetal bovine serum, exposure to 95% O2, in contrast to 1% O2, inhibited cell proliferation but significantly enhanced the production of PGI2 and, to a lesser extent, PGE2 at all three ages. The capacity to metabolize exogenous arachidonic acid (AA) to PGI2 was also increased two-to threefold (P less than 0.01). Cellular release of lactate dehydrogenase, a measure of O2 toxicity, remained unchanged during exposure to 1% O2 but increased fivefold between 48 and 96 h after exposure to hyperoxia (from 2% total to 10.5%, P less than 0.01). In confluent, growtharrested cells, under serum-free conditions, exposure to hyperoxia for 24-48 h resulted in a similar induction of PG synthesis. Our results suggest that hyperoxia stimulates PG synthesis in the perinatal rat lung and that this effect is independent of cell growth or the presence of serum. We speculate that this hyperoxia-induced PG synthesis is a relatively early response to oxidant stress and may serve as an useful early marker for O2 toxicity in perinatal lung cells.

Animals

Hyperoxia prevents hypoxia-induced bronchial hyperreactivity via a cyclooxygenase-independent mechanism.

We tested the hypothesis that prior exposure to alveolar hyperoxia prevents the hypoxia-induced enhancement of bronchial reactivity, possibly via a cyclooxygenase-dependent mechanism. In 15 sheep, specific lung resistance (sRL) was measured before and after 30 min of exposure to either air or a hypoxic gas mixture (13% O2). The sheep then inhaled 50 breaths of aerosolized 5% histamine solution (n = 9) or 10 breaths of 2.5% carbachol solution (n = 9), and measurements of sRL were repeated. On subsequent days the above protocols were repeated after a 30-min exposure to hyperoxia (O2 greater than or equal to 95%), without or after pretreatment with indomethacin (2 mg/kg). After air-sham exposure, carbachol and histamine increased mean sRL to 370 +/- 40 (SE) and 309 +/- 65% of baseline, respectively. Exposure to the hypoxic gas mixture had no effect on baseline sRL but enhanced the airway responsiveness to carbachol and histamine; mean sRL increased to 740 +/- 104 and 544 +/- 76% of baseline, respectively (P less than 0.05). Prior 30-min exposure to hyperoxia prevented the hypoxia-induced enhancement of bronchial reactivity to carbachol (sRL = 416 +/- 66% of baseline) and histamine (sRL = 292 +/- 41% of baseline) without affecting the airway responsiveness to these agents after air. Pretreatment with indomethacin did not reverse the protective effects of hyperoxia or the hypoxia-induced enhancement of bronchial reactivity. We conclude that 1) prior exposure to alveolar hyperoxia prevents the hypoxia-induced enhancement of bronchial reactivity and 2) neither the protective effects of hyperoxia nor the hypoxia-induced enhancement of bronchial reactivity is mediated via a cyclooxygenase-dependent mechanism.

Airway Resistance

The effect of hyperoxia on migration of alveolar macrophages in vitro.

There is in vitro evidence to support the notion that directed migration (chemotaxis) is involved in the recruitment of alveolar macrophages in vivo. Because O2 is widely used in the treatment of pulmonary diseases, we examined the effect of hyperoxia on migration of guinea pig alveolar macrophages in vitro. Migration was measured in blind-well chambers incubated in either room air or hyperoxia. N-formyl-methionyl-phenylalanine was used to stimulate random migration and to produce directed migration. Migration was quantified by counting the number of mononuclear cells per oil immersion field that had migrated completely through a polycarbonate filter with 5-micrometer pores. The average PO2 in the cell suspensions incubated in room air was 100 mm Hg. In the hyperoxic environments, the average PO2 at 1 h was 260 mm Hg, whereas at 2 and 3 h, it was 410 and 425 mm Hg, respectively. In 6 separate experiments, there was no significant difference between the mean response to N-formyl-methionyl phenylalanine in hyperoxia and in room air after 1 h of incubation. After 2 and 3h of incubation, however, the response in hyperoxia was significantly (P less than 0.002) lower than that in room air. The decreased response in hyperoxia did not appear to result from loss of viability of responding cells, diminished adherence of cells to the filters, loss of activity of N-formyl-methionyl phenylalanine exposed to high PO2, or failure of the cells to exhibit directed migration. Instead, it appeared that hyperoxia decreased the response of alveolar macrophages primarily by impairing random migration.

Animals

Rat lung alveolar type I epithelial cell injury and response to hyperoxia.

Hyperoxia has been shown to cause extensive lung injury, which involves all components of the alveolar septum, although the type I epithelium has generally been reported to be resistant to significant injury. Electron microscopic morphometry was performed to define changes in volumes of subcellular components of alveolar epithelial cells in rats exposed to 85% O2 for 0, 7, and 14 d. Because of their large size, type I cells in control animals actually contain a greater volume of most of the organelles involved in cell metabolism than do type II cells. Hyperoxic exposure causes a dramatic change in the subcellular composition of the average type I cell, suggesting significant injury and/or response. Injury was suggested by the finding that lysosomes plus peroxisomes increased 1,250% after 7 d in hyperoxia and remained elevated by 200% after 14 d of exposure. Volumes of mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi apparatus increased by 100%, 51%, 91%, and 500%, respectively, after hyperoxia. Qualitative analysis showed an altered, ruffled air border with focal areas of cytoplasmic translucency (suggesting injury) and focal areas of subcellular hypertrophy. Exposure to hyperoxia was associated with more organelles being found in peripheral or attenuated portions of type I alveolar cells. Since the increase in type I organelles exceeds the volume of these organelles in its progenitor, the type II cell, it is likely that hyperoxia causes hypertrophy of the type I alveolar epithelium itself, independent of simple type II cell differentiation. Because of the large size and wide distribution of the type I cell, dramatic shifts in cell substructure caused by hyperoxia are more difficult to detect and require quantitative analysis to fully ascertain the extent of cell alterations.

Animals

Diphosphoryl lipid A protects rats from lethal hyperoxia.

Bacterial endotoxin has been shown to protect rats from lethal hyperoxia. The structure of endotoxin contains diphosphoryl lipid A (DPL) as the lipid backbone stripped of protein and polysaccharides. DPL is the component of the endotoxin molecule that has been demonstrated (in previous studies) to be responsible for the immunologic, mitogenic, pyrogenic, and lethal properties of endotoxin. Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) is a nonpyrogenic, nontoxic modification of the DPL molecule that retains its immunostimulatory and mitogenic properties. We hypothesized that DPL may be the actual active component of endotoxin that protects rats from lethal hyperoxia. We also hypothesized that the protection from hyperoxia that is afforded by the DPL component may be related to endogenous release of tumor necrosis factor alpha which should allow MPL to also be protective. To test these hypotheses, we performed a series of experiments in which rats were treated with endotoxin, DPL, MPL or vehicle and exposed to room air or hyperoxia. We found that DPL and endotoxin both protected rats from lethal hyperoxia, but MPL alone was not protective. Even though MPL was not protective, DPL and MPL both increased endogenous release of tumor necrosis factor alpha early after injection (peak DPL level, 3619 +/- 1500 pg/ml, peak MPL level, 4038 +/- 500 pg/ml). Protection in both the endotoxin- and DPL-treated animals was associated with increases in lung antioxidant enzyme activities. We concluded that DPL protect rats from hyperoxia but that MPL is not protective in spite of its immunostimulatory and mitogenic effects.

Animals