Pathophysiologic plasma levels of leukotriene C4 in relation to the hemodynamic dysfunction and mediator release of graded bacteremia.

This study was undertaken to identify those events of bacteremic shock that pathophysiologic levels of leukotriene C4 (LTC4) alone were sufficient to cause. Sixteen adult swine were studied for 4 h in three groups: ANES (n = 6) received anesthesia only; Septic (n = 6) received Aeromonas hydrophila, 10(9)/mL, intravenously, increased incrementally from .2 to 4.0 mL/kg/h; LTC4 (n = 4) received LTC4 infused intravenously, at rates that approximated LTC4 levels of Septic animals. Measurements included mean arterial pressure and arterial PO2, mmHg, pulmonary and systemic (SVRI) vascular resistance indexes, cardiac index (CI), oxygen extraction ratio, hematocrit; thromboxane B2 (TxB2), prostaglandin 6 keto F1 alpha (6 keto), leukotrienes B4 and C4D4E4, and tumor necrosis factor were measured in pg/mL by ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA and general linear model). Mean arterial pressure increased from 100 +/- 5 to 141 +/- 9 in the LTC4 group, but decreased in the Septic group from 90 +/- 7 at baseline to 62 +/- 6 at 3 h. In the LTC4 group, SVRI did not differ from ANES, and pulmonary vascular resistance, PO2, and CI did not change from baseline. In the LTC4 group, TxB2 and 6 keto levels decreased from 149 +/- 26 to 87 +/- 18 and 58 +/- 10 to 44 +/- 12, respectively; in the Septic group, TxB2 increased 140-fold and 6 keto increased 60-fold. Pathophysiologic LTC4 is not sufficient alone to cause the derangements in CI and SVRI, and tissue metabolism induced by graded bacteremia. Significantly increased systemic blood pressure suggests that endogenous pathophysiologic LTC4 may be involved. LTC4 does not increase plasma eicosanoids and tumor necrosis factor, but may down-regulate prostaglandin and leukotriene release.