COMPARTMENTALIZATION OF GLUCOSE-UTILIZATION AFTER INTRAVENOUS VS INTRATRACHEAL CHALLENGE WITH LPS

The rate of glucose utilization (R(g)) of various tissues including lu ng and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid cells was measured, using th e 2-deoxyglucose technique in Sprague-Dawley rats 4 h after challenge with either 1 mg/kg intravenous or 0.3 mg/kg intratracheal lipopolysac carrhide (LPS). After intravenous LPS, R(g) increased in whole lung an d nonrespiratory tissues, but was unaltered in BAL cells. After intrat racheal LPS, the R(g) of nonrespiratory tissues was unchanged, but the R(g) of BAL cells increased from 3.7 +/- 0.3 to 71.5 +/- 16.0 nmol/mi n. This increase in the R(g) of BAL cells was explained by a doubling of the macrophage specific R(g), by a 100-fold increase in polymorphon uclear leukocytes (PMN) number, and by a higher R(g) in PMN than in ma crophages. These results demonstrate that increased glucose utilizatio n after intratracheal LPS is confined to the respiratory system and th at intra-alveolar phagocytes participate in this increase.