Background: Hypertonic saline (HTS) attenuates polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN)-mediated tissue injury after hemorrhagic shock. We hypothesized that HTS resuscitation reduces early in vivo endothelial cell (EC)-PMN interactions and late lung PMN sequestration in a two-hit model of hemorrhagic shock followed by mimicked infection.
Methods: Thirty-two mice were hemorrhaged (40 mm Hg) for 60 minutes and then given intratracheal lipopolysaccharide (10 microg) 1 hour after resuscitation with shed blood and either HTS (4 mL/kg 7.5% NaCl) or Ringer's lactate (RL) (twice shed blood volume). Eleven controls were not manipulated. Cremaster intravital microscopy quantified 5-hour EC-PMN adherence, myeloperoxidase assay assessed lung PMN content (2 1/2 and 24 hours), and lung histology determined 24-hour PMN transmigration.
Results: Compared with RL, HTS animals displayed 55% less 5-hour EC-PMN adherence (p = 0.01), 61% lower 24-hour lung myeloperoxidase ( p= 0.007), and 57% lower mean 24-hour lung histologic score ( p= 0.027).
Conclusion: Compared with RL, HTS resuscitation attenuates early EC-PMN adhesion and late lung PMN accumulation in hemorrhagic shock followed by inflammation. HTS resuscitation may attenuate PMN-mediated organ damage.