Sequence of cardiovascular changes leading to pulmonary edema in swine fedculture material containing fumonisin

Objectives-To determine the sequence of cardiovascular and blood gas change s induced by ingestion of fumonisin-containing culture material in swine an d to examine the temporal relationship of these changes to plasma sphingani ne and sphingosine concentrations. Animals-12 healthy castrated pigs (38 to 50 kg). Procedure-Pigs were instrumented to permit cardiovascular monitoring and co llection of blood samples. Baseline values were obtained, and pigs were ran domly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. Control pigs (n = 6) were fed a standard g rower diet, whereas culture material that contained 20 mg of fumonisin B-1/ kg of body weight was added to the feed of treated pigs (n = 6) each day. H emodynamic data, results of arterial and mixed venous blood gas analyses, a nd plasma sphinganine and sphingosine concentrations were recorded every 12 hours until treated pigs were euthanatized because of impending death from pulmonary edema. Results-Sphinganine and sphingosine concentrations were increased in plasma of treated pigs within 24 hours of initial fumonisin exposure and continue d to increase dramatically until euthanasia. Fumonisin-treated pigs had inc reased respiratory rate, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and pulmonary arte ry wedge pressure, along with decreased heart rate and cardiac output in th e 12-hour period before euthanasia. Fumonisin-treated pigs also had systemi c arterial hypotension, arterial and mixed venous hypoxemia, metabolic acid osis, decreased oxygen delivery, and increased oxygen consumption immediate ly before euthanasia. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Fumonisin-induced pulmonary edema in swi ne is probably caused by acute left-sided heart failure. Onset of hemodynam ic changes was associated with plasma sphinganine concentration greater tha n or equal to 2.2 mu M/L and plasma sphingosine concentration greater than or equal to 1 mu M/L.