Tumor necrosis factor up-regulates intercellular adhesion molecule 1, which is important in the neutrophil-dependent lung and liver injury associated with hepatic ischemia and reperfusion in the rat.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is released during hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and plays an important role in the ensuing neutrophil-mediated lung and liver injury. Since TNF is not a direct neutrophil chemotaxin, we hypothesized that TNF may up-regulate neutrophil adhesion molecules, specifically intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), following hepatic I/R, and that this molecule then plays an important role in tissue neutrophil influx. Rats underwent 90 min of lobar hepatic ischemia with reperfusion. Pulmonary and hepatic ICAM-1 expression were assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemical staining. Increases in hepatic ICAM-1 were demonstrated within 1 h of reperfusion, while increases in pulmonary ICAM-1 were not seen until 6 h of reperfusion. Next, rats were treated with anti-TNF antibody or control antibody without TNF neutralizing properties prior to hepatic I/R. Pretreatment with anti-TNF antibody significantly decreased pulmonary and hepatic ICAM-1 expression after hepatic I/R. We next investigated the effects of pretreatment with anti-ICAM-1 antibodies on the lung and liver injury that follows hepatic I/R. Lung injury was assessed by changes in pulmonary capillary permeability as estimated by extravasation of Evans Blue dye and pulmonary neutrophil influx as measured by lung myeloperoxidase levels. Liver injury was assessed by hepatic neutrophil morphometrics and plasma liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase). Pretreatment with anti-ICAM-1 antibodies significantly decreased pulmonary capillary permeability, pulmonary myeloperoxidase, hepatic neutrophil influx, and plasma alanine aminotransferase, as compared to animals pretreated with control antibody. These data suggest that TNF is a proximal trigger for pulmonary and hepatic ICAM-1 up-regulation following hepatic ischemia with reperfusion, and that ICAM-1 is important for pulmonary and hepatic neutrophil influx, with the resultant tissue injury, following hepatic I/R.