Fig. 5

Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction expressed as increase of pulmonary artery pressure during hypoxic ventilation; a. Average values of hypoxia induced vasoconstriction expressed as increase of pulmonary artery pressure (ΔPAP) in percent of baseline PAP in lungs obtained from saline-treated controls (open bars) and from LPS-treated mice (black bars) after exposure to air or to 50 ppm CO for 18 h. Hypoxia induced vasoconstriction was decreased in LPS-treated mice, which was prevented by exposure to 50 ppm CO for 18 h. b. Average values of ΔPAP in lungs obtained from LPS-treated mice after exposure to 50 ppm CO for the first 6 h, the last 12 h, the first 3 h and the second 3 h after LPS challenge. LPS-induced impairment of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction was prevented by CO exposure for the first 6 h and the second 3 h after LPS challenge, but not by CO exposure for the first 3 h or the last 12 h. For better comparability values for the group (LPS/CO 18 h) are also depicted in figure B. Data are presented as mean ± SD; n = 8 per group; *p < 0.01 vs. (saline/air 18 h); # p < 0.05 vs. (LPS/CO 18 h)