Pulmonary vascular permeability changes in an ovine model of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sepsis

INTRODUCTION: Endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of sepsis, associated with lung transvascular fluid flux and pulmonary dysfunction in septic patients. We tested the hypothesis that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) sepsis following smoke inhalation increases pulmonary transvascular fluid flux via excessive nitric oxide (NO) production. METHODS: Ewes were chronically instrumented, and randomised into either a control or MRSA sepsis (MRSA and smoke inhalation) group. RESULTS: Pulmonary function remained stable in the control group, whereas the MRSA sepsis group developed impaired gas exchange and significantly increased lung lymph flow, permeability index and bloodless wet-to-dry weight-ratio (W/D ratio). The plasma nitrate/nitrite (NOx) levels, lung inducible nitric oxide synthases (iNOS) and endothelial nitric oxide synthases (eNOS), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein expressions and poly-(ADP)-ribose (PAR) were significantly increased by MRSA challenge. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence that excessive NO production may mediate pulmonary vascular hyperpermeability in MRSA sepsis via up regulation of reactive radicals and VEGF.