Pulmonary hemodynamics in newborn piglets during hypoxemia and reoxygenation: Blocking of the endothelin-1 receptors

Abstract

The effects of blocking endothelin (ET) receptors in pulmonary circulation during hypoxemia and reoxygenation were studied in five groups of piglets. Ten minutes before hypoxemia, the Hyp group (n = 10) was given saline and the 1-mg (n = 9) and 5-mg group (n = 9), respectively, were given 1 and 5 mg/kg i.v. SB 217242 (an ET receptor antagonist). Two groups served as normoxic controls. The piglets were ventilated with 8% O2 until base excess was <20 mm Hg. Reoxygenation was performed with air. The increase of mean pulmonary artery pressure was significantly attenuated during hypoxemia and reoxygenation in the 1-mg group (p = 0.006). The pulmonary vascular resistance index increased significantly at the end of hypoxemia in the Hyp and 5-mg groups but was comparable to baseline in the 1-mg group. During the study period, the changes in pulmonary vascular resistance index were significantly attenuated in the 1-mg group compared with the 5-mg group. Stroke volume index was significantly attenuated compared with baseline in the 5-mg group during both hypoxemia and reoxygenation, whereas, in the Hyp and 1-mg group, stroke volume index was attenuated only at the end of hypoxemia. During hypoxemia, plasma ET-1 decreased from 1.9 ± 0.2 to 1.3 ± 0.3 ng/L (p = 0.008) in the Hyp group, remained unchanged in the 1-mg group, and increased from 1.6 ± 0.2 to 6.6 ± 1.6 ng/L (p = 0.008) in the 5-mg group. We conclude that blocking ET receptors attenuates pulmonary vasoconstriction during hypoxemia and reoxygenation in piglets.