Catecholamines reduce dose-dependent oedema formation and inflammatory reaction in an isolated rat lung model.

AIM: Since we detected that donor dopamine pre-treatment ameliorates lung function after hypothermia and ischaemia/reperfusion in an isolated rat lung model we studied, whether other catecholamines have beneficial effects on lungs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were treated with noradrenaline, adrenaline or dobutamine in different doses. Thereafter lungs were explanted, flushed with Perfadex® solution and stored at 4°C for different time periods. Oedema production was measured and inflammatory mediators were analysed after reperfusion and ventilation.
RESULTS: Low-dose noradrenaline or dobutamine did not reduce tissue oedema after eight hours of hypothermia, whereas higher doses significantly reduced oedema formation. Low-dose catecholamines did not prevent the inflammatory response, whereas higher doses of beta-receptor-stimulating catecholamines significantly blunted inflammatory reaction.
CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that adrenergic-receptor-stimulating catecholamines have a protective dose-dependent effect on lungs after hypothermia and ischaemia/reperfusion. Although noradrenaline and dobutamine have similar dose-dependent organ-protective effects to dopamine, they have more side-effects.