Protective effects of endogenous catecholamine on alveolar fluid balance in acute pancreatitis and hypoxia in rats

Abstract

Fluid accumulation in the alveolar spaces is a characteristic of a number of pulmonary diseases. In such diseases, excess alveolar fluid causes a deterioration in alveolar gas exchange and exposes patients to hypoxemia. If therapy is unsuccessful, there is a high risk that the patient will die. This paper reviews the effect of β-adrenergic agonists on alveolar fluid clearance in human lungs and the protective effects of endogenous catecholamine on alveolar fluid balance in acute pancreatitis and hypoxia in rats. It is shown that administration of exogenous β-adrenergic agonists into the distal airspaces can be a potent therapy for patients with pulmonary edema and that endogenous catecholamine does have a protective effect on alveolar fluid balance in acute pancreatitis and hypoxia in rats.