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It has been reported that ventilation with large tidal volumes causes pulmonary edema in rats by the stimulation and release of proinflammatory mediators. Our objective was to determine the level at which volutrauma induced by changes in Airway Pressure (PAW) and Inspiratory Volume (VI) produce significant changes on the Fluid Filtration Rate (FFR) and Pulmonary Artery Pressure (PAP) in lungs perfused with blood (cellular groups) or with a buffer-albumin solution (acellular groups), with a Positive End Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) 0 or 2 cmH2O and to study the effect of a vasodilator with antiinflammatory properties (fenoterol) in blood-perfused groups. Three experimental groups were used: the cellular groups studied the effect of increased PAW and IV in isolated lungs perfused with blood and PEEP 0 and 2; the acellular groups studied the increased PAW and IV in isolated lungs perfused with a buffer-albumin solution and PEEP 0 and 2; The fenoterol group studied the effect of increased PAW and IV in isolated lungs perfused with blood + fenoterol and PEEP 2. The results show that an increase of FFR is produced earlier in acellular groups than in cellular ones and that the damage in cellular groups is microscopically and macroscopically inferior when compared to acellular groups. Fenoterol did not inhibit edema formation, and that PEEP 2, both in the cellular and the acellular groups, has a protective effect. We propose the possible existence of mediators with protective effects against the formation of pulmonary edema in the blood. These data suggest that volutrauma induced pulmonary edema has a predominantly traumatic origin when the lungs are perfused with blood.

The use of Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) as a strategy of mechanical ventilation offers its advantages, such as improved oxygenation, without causing alveolar overstretching and barotrauma. We aim to investigate the effect of several levels of PEEP on barotrauma and, whether an optimal level of PEEP exists. Forty-eight New Zealand rabbits (2.5-3.5 kg) were divided into four groups with PEEP settings of 0, 4, 8 and 12 cmH2O, at increasing levels of inspiratory volume (IV). This was done in blood perfused rabbit lungs and in lungs perfused with a Buffer-Albumin Solution. We observed that lungs ventilated with PEEP 0 cmH2O suffered pulmonary rupture at high IV (300cc), with significant increases of Pap (Pulmonary artery pressure) and FFR (Fluid filtration rate). Lungs ventilated with PEEP 8 and 12 suffered pulmonary rupture at lower IV (200cc and 150cc vs. 300cc respectively) On the other hand, lungs ventilated with PEEP 4 cmH2O reached the highest IV (400cc), in addition, they showed the lowest elevations of Pap and FFR. The acellular lungs ventilated with PEEP 4, 8 and 12 showed pulmonary rupture at lower IV when compared with cellular ones (300cc vs. 400cc: 100cc vs. 200cc and 100cc vs. 150cc respectively). We concluded that an optimal PEEP exists, which protects against barotrauma, however, excess of PEEP could enhance its development. The blood could contain some mediators which attenuate the damage induced by barotrauma.