DYNAMIC ACCUMULATION OF NEUTROPHILS IN LUNGS AND VISCERAL ORGANS DURING EARLY ABDOMINAL SEPSIS IN THE PIG

Activation and accumulation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs, neu trophils) in the lungs is considered an important mechanism in the pat hogenesis of pulmonary dysfunction in association with sepsis. It prob ably constitutes only part of a general cellular response; and a corre sponding reaction has been implicated in other organs during sepsis (e .g., the liver). In this experiment a model was developed that allows study of the dynamic PMN reaction in the lungs and visceral organs dur ing early abdominal sepsis. The animals were divided into two groups. In the septic group (n = 8) a bacterial challenge was attempted throug h the intraperitoneal administration of Escherichia coli (1 x 10(11)/k g). Five animals served as controls. All animals in the septic group d eveloped bacteremia, leukopenia, and a hypodynamic circulatory respons e. PMNs were selectively labeled with In-111-oxine. The activity over the organs was followed dynamically with a gamma camera. The animals s ubjected to peritonitis exhibited a significant increase in In-111-oxi ne activity (i.e., neutrophil trapping) in the lungs, compared to the controls at 40 minutes and onward during the observation period. A sim ilar picture was seen over the liver and abdomen, with significance af ter 70 minutes. The findings in this study indicate that accumulation of PMNs is an early phenomenon not only in the lungs but also in the l iver during the development of sepsis. The present model offers possib ilities for further studies of the cellular reactions during sepsis.