The effects of lisofylline [(R)-1-(5-hydroxyhexyl)-3,7-dimethylxanthine] (LSF), an inhibitor of de novo phosphatidic acid (PA) generation, on sepsis-induced acute lung injury was studied using Hanford minipigs weighing 18 to 25 kg. Sepsis was induced by an intravenous infusion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1 x 10(6)/colony-forming units/kg/min over 2 h). Saline was used as the control vehicle. Six groups were studied: saline control group (SALINE: n = 5); sepsis control group (SEPSIS: n = 5); LSF control group (LSF: n = 5), which received a 25-mg/kgbolus of LSF 30 min before time zero followed by continuous infusion of 10 mg/kg/h throughout the study; LSF-treated septic groups, which were treated with LSF 30 min prior to sepsis (Pre: n = 5), 1 h postonset (Post-1 h: n = 8) or h postonset (Post-2 h: n = 8) of the bacterial infusion. Hemodynamics PaO2, neutrophil counts, and plasma porcine tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations were monitored for 6 h. After the minipigs were killed, lung tissue was sampled to measured wet-to-dry weight ratio (W/D), tissue albumin index (TAI), thiobarbituric acid-reactive material content (TBARM), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Compared with the SALINE group, the SEPSIS group showed significant systemic hypotension, pulmonary hypertension, arterial hypoxemia, neutropenia, and increase in TNF-alpha, MPO activity, W/D, TBARM, and TAI. LSF treatment attenuated sepsis-induced pulmonary hypertension, neutropenia, and hypoxemia, and increased MPO activity and lung injury measurements in the Pre and Post-1 h groups, but its efficacy was blunted in the Post-2 h group. Plasma TNF-alpha was decreased only in the Pre group. Thus, inhibition of intracellular PA generation through de novo pathways attenuates sepsis-induced acute lung injury.