The Inhibition of P-Selectin Reduced Severe Acute Lung Injury in Immunocompromised Mice

Abstract EN

In an immunocompetent host, excess infiltration of immune cells in the lung is a key factor in infection-induced severe acute lung injury.

Kidney transplant patients are immunocompromised by the use of immunosuppressive drugs.

Immune cell infiltration in the lung in a renal transplant recipient suffering from pulmonary infection is significantly less than that in an immunocompetent host; however, the extent of lung injury in renal transplant patients is more serious than that in immunocompetent hosts.

Therefore, we explored the role of platelet activation in a Klebsiella pneumoniae-induced lung injury model with P-selectin gene knockout mice or wild-type mice.

Our study suggested that the inhibition of platelets reduced severe acute lung injury and increased survival after acute lung infection in mice.

In addition, P-selectin expression on the surface of platelets in mice increased after administration of immunosuppressive drugs, and the extent of lung injury induced by infection decreased in P-selectin gene knockout mice.

In conclusion, p-selectin plays a key role in severe acute lung injury in immunocompromised mice by reducing platelet activation and inflammatory processes.