Thrombin-induced Lung Vascular Injury

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Abstract
We examined the contributions of fibrin and the fibrinolytic mechanism in mediating the thrombin-induced lung vascular injury. Studies were made in sheep in which alterations in lung transvascular fluid and protein exchange were assessed using the lung lymph fistula preparation. Group I (n=10) control sheep in which left atrial pressure was raised to increase pulmonary lymph flow (); Group II (n=8) control sheep in which thrombin was infused intravenously (58.3 ± 12.6 U/kg) to induce pulmonary thromboembolization; Group III (n=6) sheep were defibrino-generated using Ancrod (purified fraction of venom of Agkistrodon rhodostoma) prior to embolization with thrombin (124.5 ± 2.5 U/kg); Group IV (n=13) sheep were treated with tranexamic acid to inhibit fibrinolysis prior to embolization with thrombin (140.0 ± 25.8 U/kg). In Group II, pulmonary thromboembolization increased without a change in the steady-state lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratio (L/P). Raising left atrial pressure (↑Pla) postembolizatio...