Abstract
Infusions of Group B Streptococci; (GBS) cause pulmonary hypertension in acutely instrumented lambs. We developed a chronic piglet model to further study this response. We placed a pulmonary artery electromagnetic flow transducer plus pulmonary, aortic, left atrial and central venous catheters. After > 4 days recovery, animals were given 1×108 heat killed GBS type III (strain M732)/kg as a rapid bolus each weekday for 10 days. The table shows the mean ± SD change in mean pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa) for each day. The average increase in Ppa on days 8, 9 and 10 was 230% greater than on days 1, 2 and 3. Other variables changed little, if any, and returned to baseline within 1-2 minutes while pulmonary pressure was elevated for 6 ± 1.5 minutes on days 8, 9, and 10. These data document a previously unreported time-related potentiation in the pulmonary hypertensive response to bolus GBS in conscious piglets. Investigations into the mechanism(s) underlying this response are under way. Further work with this model may improve our understanding of the host response to infectious challenge.
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