Blood coagulation system in experimental acute lung injury and its treatment with dexamethasone

Abstract

The effects of short- and long-term administrations of dexamethasone on survival, severity of pulmonary edema, and hemostasis on experimental lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in rats were analyzed. Acute lung injury in rats was modeled by the intratracheal injection of lipopolysaccharide from the Salmonella enterica cell wall. White male rats were randomly divided into nine groups: the intact group consisted of 10 animals; two control groups of 20 animals each, in which acute lung injury was simulated without further treatment and removed from the experiment on day 3 or 7; six comparison groups of 20 animals each, in which, 3 h after modeling of acute lung injury and then once a day for 3 days (short mode of administration) or 7 days (long mode of administration), dexamethasone solution was administered intraperitoneally in the following doses: 0. 52 (equivalent to 6 mg/day for humans), 1. 71 (20 mg/day for humans), and 8 mg/kg/day (94 mg/day, pulse therapy for humans). On days 3 and 7, the survival rate, coagulogram values (active partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, activity of antithrombin, and soluble fibrin monomer complexes), and low-frequency piezotromboelastography data were assessed in the surviving animals. The results revealed that dexamethasone reduces mortality in acute lung injury and has a dose-dependent effect on the hemostasis system: with an increase in the dose administered, blood clotting processes increase and fibrinolysis is inhibited. Low-frequency piezothromboelastography with a conventional coagulogram allows for a comprehensive assessment of the hemostasis system, identifying violations, and timely drug correction.