Involvement of Akt and endothelial nitric oxide synthase in ventilation-induced neutrophil infiltration: a prospective, controlled animal experiment

INTRODUCTION: Positive pressure ventilation with large tidal volumes has been shown to cause release of cytokines, including macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), a functional equivalent of human IL-8, and neutrophil infiltration. Hyperoxia has been shown to increase ventilator-induced lung injury, but the mechanisms regulating interaction between a large tidal volume and hyperoxia are unclear. We hypothesized that large tidal volume ventilation using hyperoxia would increase MIP-2 production and neutrophil infiltration via the serine/threonine kinase/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway and the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) pathway. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were exposed to large tidal volume (30 ml/kg) mechanical ventilation with room air or hyperoxia for 1–5 hours. RESULTS: Large tidal volume ventilation using hyperoxia induced neutrophil migration into the lung, MIP-2 production, and Akt and eNOS activation in a time-dependent manner. Both the large tidal volume ventilation of Akt mutant mice and the pharmacological inhibition of Akt with LY294002 attenuated neutrophil sequestration, MIP-2 protein production, and Akt and eNOS activation. CONCLUSION: We conclude that hyperoxia increased large tidal volume-induced MIP-2 production and neutrophil influx through activation of the Akt and eNOS pathways.