PULMONARY-EDEMA INDUCED BY PHAGOCYTOSING NEUTROPHILS - PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY AGAINST PHAGOCYTE CD18 INTEGRIN

We studied the changes in pulmonary hemodynamics and lung wet weight induced with opsonized zymosan (OZ) in isolated guinea pig lungs perfused with Ringer-albumin solution containing neutrophils (PMNs). Addition of OZ to the PMN-perfused lungs caused pulmonary vasoconstriction and weight gain; neither OZ nor PMNs added individually to the perfusate altered pulmonary vasomotor tone or wet weight. The steady gain in lung weight by 1,588 ± 464 mg over the 45-minutes study period was associated with pulmonary capillary hypertension and an increase in the capillary filtration coefficient, indicative of increased lung vascular permeability. These responses may not be due to generation of oxygen radicals, because the alterations in pulmonary hemodynamics and lung weight were not reduced by addition of superoxide dismutase, catalase, or superoxide dismutase plus catalase. We examined the basis of the PMN-mediated effects by layering PMNs on bovine pulmonary artery endothelial monolayers. Challenge with OZ resulted in increased endothelial permeability to 125I-albumin. The monoclonal antibody IB4 (directed against CD18, the common β-subunit of structurally related adhesion receptors on phagocytes, LFA-1, Mac-1, and P150,95) prevented the OZ-mediated increase in PMN adherence to endothelial cells and the increase in endothelial permeability to 125I-albumin. IB4 also inhibited the lung weight gain mediated by the OZ-stimulated PMNs in intact lungs. The protective effect of IB4 could be ascribed neither to inhibition of uptake of OZ by PMNs nor to inhibition of release of oxygen radicals, myeloperoxidase, and elastase. A control antibody, OKM-1 (directed against an irrelevant epitope on the α-subunit of Mac-1), was not protective in the endothelial monolayers or in intact lungs. We conclude that OZ-stimulated PMNs induce pulmonary vasoconstriction and increase vascular permeability. These responses are associated with phagocytosis of OZ particles by PMNs and are dependent on PMN CD18 adhesion receptors.