Lung albumin content after acid aspiration pulmonary injury

The effects of aspiration of saline and acid on lymph albumin and pulmonary albumin contents were studied. Two radiolabeled species of albumin were used, I¹²⁵-albumin was allowed to equilibrate while ¹³¹I-albumin was injected at Time 0 of the experiment. One percent of total injected albumin was found in the lung in the saline and control groups for both the equilibrated and non-equilibrated varieties of albumin. Seven percent of injected dose of ¹²⁵I-albumin (equilibrated) was found in the lung after acid aspiration, while 16% of the nonequilibrated ¹³¹I-albumin was found. The rate of "wash in" of ¹³¹I-albumin was significantly increased in the lymph of acid aspirated animals as compared to controls. These data suggest that the previously demonstrated increase in microvascular permeability after acid aspiration results in an increase in extravascular pulmonary albumin. This effect should greatly alter the local osmotic gradient and result in altered fluid balance.