Adhesion molecules contribute to ischemia and reperfusion-induced injury in the isolated rat lung.

Leukocyte adherence to the endothelium after ischemia and reperfusion contributes to microvascular injury in most organs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the leukocyte and endothelial cell adhesion molecules involved with ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced pulmonary microvascular injury in the isolated rat lung. After 45 min of ischemia and 30 min of reperfusion, microvascular permeability was significantly increased and lung retention of leukocytes occurred. Pretreatment with monoclonal antibodies against the leukocyte adhesion molecule CD18 or the endothelial cell adhesion molecules intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and P-selectin significantly attenuated the I/R-induced permeability increase and lung sequestration of neutrophils, mononuclear leukocytes, and eosinophils. In contrast, immunoneutralization of the rat leukocyte adhesion molecule L-selectin neither protected against the I/R-induced permeability increase nor prevented lung sequestration of neutrophils and eosinophils. We conclude that leukocyte adherence in the pulmonary, microvasculature and subsequent permeability increase after I/R is dependent on the integrin CD18, its endothelial cell ligand intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and the endothelial cell rolling factor P-selectin but not the leukocyte rolling factor L-selectin.