Thromboxane mediates pulmonary hypertension and lung inflammation during hyperacute lung rejection

III. Thromboxane mediates pulmonary hypertension and lung inflammation during hyperacute lung rejection. J Appl Physiol 90: 2257–2268, 2001.—The role of thromboxane (Tx) in hyperacute rejection of pig lung by human blood was studied in an ex vivo model, wherein lungs from juvenile piglets were perfused with fresh heparinized human blood. In this model, hyperacute lung rejection was characterized by an abrupt rise in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR;.1 cmH2O zml21 zmin) and prolific Tx elaboration (.15 ng/ml) within 5 min and loss of function within 10 min. Although papaverine significantly blunted the rise in PVR (,0.2 cmH2O zml21 zmin), Tx production was not inhibited (.20 ng/ml), and florid tracheal edema was usually evident within 20 min. In contrast, both inhibition of Tx synthesis (Tx, 3 ng/ml) with OKY-046 and blockade of the Tx receptor wit