Sex-related differences in lung inflammation after brain death

Abstract Background Donor sex has been suggested to be a factor influencing organ transplantation outcome. Sex hormones possess inflammatory and immune-mediating properties; therefore, immune responses may differ between males and females. Brain death (BD) affects organ function by numerous mechanis...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of surgical research 2016-02, Vol.200 (2), p.714-721
Main Authors: Breithaupt-Faloppa, Ana Cristina, PhD, Ferreira, Sueli G., BS, Kudo, Guilherme K, Armstrong, Roberto, Tavares-de-Lima, Wothan, PhD, da Silva, Luiz Fernando Ferraz, PhD, Sannomiya, Paulina, PhD, Moreira, Luiz Felipe P., PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biomarkers - metabolism
Brain death
Brain Death - metabolism
Estradiol - blood
Female
Female sex hormones
Inflammation
Lung - metabolism
Lung - pathology
Male
Pneumonia - etiology
Pneumonia - metabolism
Pneumonia - pathology
Progesterone - blood
Rat
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Sex differences
Sex Factors
Surgery
Tissue and Organ Procurement
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Background Donor sex has been suggested to be a factor influencing organ transplantation outcome. Sex hormones possess inflammatory and immune-mediating properties; therefore, immune responses may differ between males and females. Brain death (BD) affects organ function by numerous mechanisms including alterations in hemodynamics, hormonal changes, and increased systemic inflammation. In this study, we investigated sex-dependent differences in the evolution of lung inflammation in a rat model of BD. Materials and methods BD was induced by a sudden increase in intracranial pressure by rapidly inflating a balloon catheter inserted into the intracranial space. Groups of male, female, and ovariectomized (OVx) female rats were used. Lung vascular permeability, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 expression were analyzed 6 h after BD. Serum female sex hormones, vascular endothelial growth factor, and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant 1 levels were also quantified. Lung sections were analyzed by histology. Results After 6 h of BD, serum estradiol and progesterone concentrations in female rats were significantly reduced. Lung microvascular permeability was increased in females compared to males. Cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations were increased in female rats compared to males. Furthermore, female rats showed higher levels of leukocyte infiltration and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in the lung parenchyma. Conclusions Our results indicate that the more severe lung inflammation in female animals after BD might be related to acute estradiol reduction. Based on our findings, we believe that, in a future study, a group of female treated with estradiol after BD could indicate a possible therapy for the control of lung inflammation in the female donor.
ISSN:0022-4804
1095-8673
DOI:10.1016/j.jss.2015.09.018