Abstract 1255 Poster Session IV, Tuesday, 5/4 (poster 225)

The intention of these studies was to examine if perfluorocarbon chemicals (PFC) are proinflammatory inert. Blood leukocytes (BL) in their natural habitate (whole blood) were incubated in the presence of two chemically different PFC liquids (perfluorodecalin and perflubron). The response of BL was examined at increasing PFC concentrations. The lowest concentration (0.001% (w/v)) was physiologically relevant in serum of liquid-ventilated individuals, whereas BL incubation at the highest PFC concentrations (10% and 50%) mimicked a situation where leukocytes are presented to PFC-filled airways. To mimic a situation where severely lung diseased and septic patients being liquid-ventilated, BL were incubated with either of the two PFC liquids and/or with the bacterial product lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from E.coli. BL exposed in vitro to PFC did not change the expression of adhesion molecules CD11b and CD62L, neither did their morphology as seen by electron microscopy change upon PFC incubation. At the highest perflubron concentrations production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased significantly in monocytes, but not in granulocytes and lymphocytes. All types of leukocytes were unresponsive to perfluorodecalin. The production of cytokines TNFa and IL-8 did not increase in the presence of PFC. Costimulation of leukocytes with LPS and PFC did not change the increased or decreased expression of CD11b and CD62L, respectively, nor the production of ROS, TNFa or IL-8 above levels induced by LPS alone.

Funded by Research Forum, Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.