Inflammatory pathways and microvascular responses in the lung

Abstract

Neutrophil granulocytes constitute an important host defense mechanism, but may at the same time damage functional tissue and propagate acute organ failure. This balance is particularly vulnerable in the lung which provides a large surface area for invading pathogens and microorganisms, and simultaneously harbors a large pool of physiologically marginated neutrophils within its microvascular bed. Pathophysiological stimuli further amplify this accumulation of blood cells and promote the emigration of neutrophils into the pulmonary interstitium and the airspaces by different mechanisms depending on the pathophysiological stimulus, its route of entry into or site of production in the lung, and the time course of its action. Importantly, the pulmonary microvascular endothelium plays a key role in regulating not only sequestration and emigration of neutrophils, but by initiating the inflammatory response to a variety of diverse stimuli many of which do not directly target the circulating neutrophil, but elicit microvascular reactions by primarily acting on the endothelium. This review highlights the inflammatory process in the pulmonary microvasculature with special emphasis on the role of the pulmonary endothelium.