Survival rate
All swine were successfully induced into VF. Of the eight swine in the CCPR group, two died at 3.7 and 5.3 h after the ROSC, whereas the remaining survived for up to 6 h (6/8, 67.5%). All eight animals in the ECPR group successfully survived to ROSC for 6 h (8/8, 100%). The survival rate of the two groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05) (Fig. 1).
Haemodynamics
Table 1 summarises the HR and MAP of the CCPR and ECPR groups. They did not differ statistically at the baseline (p>0.05). The HR in ROSC and 1, 2, 4, 6 h after ROSC were significantly higher in the CCPR than in the ECPR group (p<0.01) (Fig. 2a). The MAP in ROSC and 1, 2, 4 h after ROSC were significantly lower in the CCPR than in the ECPR group (p<0.05), whereas differences in the ROCS at 6 h (p>0.05) were not (Fig. 2b).
Table 1. The heart rate and mean arterial pressure of the CCPR and ECPR groups
Variables
|
CCPR
|
ECPR
|
p-value
|
HR (bpm)
|
Baseline
|
118.25±7.59
|
119.25±6.84
|
0.768
|
ROSC
|
161.25±12.63
|
126.75±7.48
|
<0.0001
|
ROSC 1 h
|
149.50±14.01
|
120.25±12.02
|
0.001
|
ROSC2 h
|
144.00±13.35
|
118.50±9.72
|
0.001
|
ROSC 4 h
|
132.29±11.22
|
115.00±4.54
|
0.006
|
ROCS 6 h
|
132.67±5.89
|
115.00±6.14
|
<0.0001
|
MAP (mmHg)
|
Baseline
|
114.44±5.44
|
115.55±3.61
|
0.637
|
ROSC
|
77.46±4.33
|
104.61±10.89
|
<0.0001
|
ROSC1h
|
82.44±7.09
|
103.04±8.28
|
<0.0001
|
ROSC2h
|
83.00±8.53
|
105.44±8.12
|
<0.0001
|
ROSC4h
|
96.80±6.07
|
106.14±9.25
|
0.037
|
ROCS6h
|
99.55±11.00
|
107.16±8.97
|
0.178
|
HR, heart rate; MAP, mean arterial pressure; CCPR, conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ECPR, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ROSC, return of spontaneous circulation.
Blood and tissue biomarkers
There were no significant differences in serum SP-A, SP-D, CC16, MDA, and SOD at baseline between the CCPR and ECPR groups (p>0.05). Serum SP-A, SP-D, CC16, MDA were found in ROSC and at 1, 2, 4, 6 h after ROSC were statistically higher in the CCPR than in the ECPR group (p<0.05), whereas the serum SOD was lower at the abovementioned five-time points in the CCPR than in the ECPR group (p<0.01) (Table 2 and Fig. 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e). The comparison of the tissues from the two groups showed that MDA and MPO were significantly higher in the CCPR than in the ECPR group, whereas the SP-A, SP-D, and SOD CCPR were significantly lower in the CCPR than in the ECPR group (p<0.01) (Table 3 and Fig. 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e).
Table 2. Blood biomarkers of the CCPR and ECPR groups
Variables
|
CCPR
|
ECPR
|
p-value
|
SP-A (ng/mL)
|
Baseline
|
40.35±5.30
|
40.97±5.57
|
0.824
|
ROSC
|
114.02±15.47
|
86.88±9.42
|
0.001
|
ROSC 1 h
|
91.76±15.72
|
64.24±8.46
|
0.001
|
ROSC 2 h
|
86.76±13.34
|
60.10±6.77
|
<0.0001
|
ROSC 4 h
|
78.33±18.29
|
53.05±9.21
|
0.004
|
ROCS 6 h
|
76.59±17.94
|
46.16±6.35
|
0.007
|
SP-D (ng/mL)
|
Baseline
|
67.12±7.09
|
63.69±5.31
|
0.292
|
ROSC
|
179.72±28.94
|
138.16±19.54
|
0.005
|
ROSC 1 h
|
142.23±35.60
|
100.83±15.67
|
0.009
|
ROSC 2 h
|
132.57±33.37
|
93.88±15.85
|
0.010
|
ROSC 4 h
|
126.17±37.79
|
84.10±21.86
|
0.019
|
ROCS 6 h
|
131.67±30.73
|
73.23±20.37
|
0.001
|
CC16 (ng/mL)
|
Baseline
|
147.26±24.91
|
159.60±16.36
|
0.261
|
ROSC
|
457.39±75.75
|
335.76±44.11
|
0.002
|
ROSC 1 h
|
365.60±65.90
|
254.67±38.54
|
0.001
|
ROSC 2 h
|
338.92±60.38
|
234.35±31.83
|
0.001
|
ROSC 4 h
|
315.87±61.34
|
217.04±38.49
|
0.002
|
ROCS 6 h
|
308.20±62.09
|
184.68±45.05
|
0.001
|
MDA (nmol/mL)
|
Baseline
|
4.00±0.66
|
4.11±0.49
|
0.708
|
ROSC
|
13.37±1.44
|
7.54±2.30
|
<0.0001
|
ROSC 1 h
|
12.53±1.23
|
6.29±1.10
|
<0.0001
|
ROSC 2 h
|
12.73±1.06
|
6.21±0.93
|
<0.0001
|
ROSC 4 h
|
13.23±1.19
|
5.79±1.17
|
<0.0001
|
ROCS 6 h
|
12.72±0.91
|
5.05±0.63
|
<0.0001
|
SOD (U/mL)
|
Baseline
|
219.19±15.69
|
215.48±24.85
|
0.727
|
ROSC
|
141.85±18.71
|
210.60±25.01
|
<0.0001
|
ROSC 1 h
|
123.93±18.10
|
198.30±26.71
|
<0.0001
|
ROSC 2 h
|
113.01±18.64
|
195.25±18.55
|
<0.0001
|
ROSC 4 h
|
104.85±22.13
|
203.04±16.68
|
<0.0001
|
ROCS 6 h
|
105.83±26.29
|
197.78±26.23
|
<0.0001
|
CCPR, conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ECPR, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ROSC, return of spontaneous circulation; SP-A, pulmonary surfactant protein A; SP-D, pulmonary surfactant protein D; CC16, Clara cell protein 16; MDA, malondialdehyde; SOD, superoxide dismutase.
Table 3. Tissue biomarkers of the CCPR and ECPR groups
Variables
|
CCPR
|
ECPR
|
p-value
|
SP-A (ng/mL)
|
32.60±4.13
|
71.87±18.88
|
<0.0001
|
SP-D (ng/mL)
|
45.08±3.40
|
131.29±22.80
|
<0.0001
|
MDA (nmol/mL)
|
11.05±1.07
|
5.67±1.62
|
<0.0001
|
SOD (U/mL)
|
82.92±32.02
|
158.65±20.68
|
<0.0001
|
MPO (ng/mL)
|
634.66±54.62
|
274.08±99.78
|
<0.0001
|
CCPR, conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ECPR, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation; SP-A, pulmonary surfactant protein A; SP-D, pulmonary surfactant protein D; MDA, malondialdehyde; SOD, superoxide dismutase; MPO, myeloperoxidase.
EVLW and PVPI results
Table 4 compares the EVLW and PVPI of the CCPR and EPCR groups. At baseline, there was no significant difference between the two groups (p>0.05). The EVLW at ROSC6h in both groups was statistically different (p<0.01) (Fig. 5a). PVPI values at ROSC6h in the two groups showed significant differences (p<0.01) (Fig. 5b). Moreover, the EVLW values at ROSC6h compared with the baseline in both two groups showed statistically significant differences (p<0.05) (Fig. 5c, 5d). The PVPI in the CCPR group was statistically higher compared to the baseline (p<0.01), whereas no difference was observed in ECPR group (p>0.05) (Fig. 5e, 5f).
Table 4. Comparison of the extravascular lung water and pulmonary vascular permeability index of the CCPR and ECPR groups
Variable
|
Baseline
|
ROSC6h
|
p-value
|
EVLW (mL/kg)
|
CCPR
|
9.61±1.37
|
21.85±3.92
|
<0.0001
|
ECPR
|
9.39±1.70
|
11.78±1.82a
|
0.017
|
PVPI
|
CCPR
|
2.24±0.50
|
5.97±1.39
|
0.001
|
ECPR
|
2.15±0.43
|
2.06±0.91a
|
0.812
|
EVLW, extravascular lung water; PVPI, pulmonary vascular permeability index; CCPR, conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ECPR, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ROSC, return of spontaneous circulation. ap<0.0001 vs. CCPR group.
Results from electron microscopy
Electron microscopy revealed serious damage that was evident in the broadening of the blood-gas barrier in the CCPR group; in the epithelial cells, the type II lamellar bodies were empty vacuoles for the most part. In the ECPR group, the blood-gas barrier was clear, without any clear broadening, with epithelial cells showing non-empty type II lamellar bodies (Fig. 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d).
Discussion
This animal experiment showed that ECPR has a better pulmonary protective effect than CCPR. Compared with the ECPR group, the CCPR group had more severe oxidative stress injury and worse scavenging ability for oxygen-free radicals. In the ECPR group, more protective active proteins were present on the alveolar surface, the blood–gas barrier was intact, there was a greater abundance of the alveolar surface-active protein in the lamellar body and less pulmonary oedema.
The pulmonary surfactant protein is secreted and released from type II alveolar epithelial cells. It plays an important role in maintaining lung surface tension and participates in the body's defense functions. Pulmonary surface proteins are composed of four proteins: namely, hydrophobic small molecular proteins SP-B and SP-C, which are mainly involved in maintaining alveolar surface tension, and hydrophilic large molecular proteins SP-A and SP-D, which are mainly involved in immune and inflammatory mechanisms [16]. SP-A and SP-D can minimise lung injury by reducing the production of inflammatory factors and can clear various pathogens [17]. Experiments have shown that SP-A and SP-D play an important role in the innate immunity of the lungs and the prevention of infection [18]. Meanwhile, SP-A and SP-D have strong antioxidant functions, and these two proteins can alleviate and prevent the oxidative stress response of the lungs induced by various etiologies [19]. Furthermore, SP-A can control apoptosis and stabilise alveolar epithelial cells [20]. Meanwhile, the pulmonary clearance of exogenous substances can be enhanced by regulating inflammatory cells and promoting macrophage phagocytosis [17]. Low SP-A expression in the lung tissues will lead to decreased stability of alveolar epithelial cells and increase the possibility of pulmonary oedema, pulmonary infection, and pulmonary injury [21]. Lung injury will lead to the reduction of SP-A and SP-D in the lung tissues [17, 22]. Greater secretion of SP-D in these tissues has a clear protective effect on the lungs against infection, promotes macrophage metastasis, and maintains the stability of alveolar epithelial cells [23, 24]. Studies have suggested that the injury to the blood–gas barrier caused by lung injury, especially injury to alveolar epithelial cells, will lead to the increased secretion of serum SP-A and SP-D [25]. Serum SP-D concentration is positively correlated with the degree of lung injury [26] as well as mortality [27]. Clara cells have shown to repair damaged epithelial cells; detoxify the invasion of foreign organisms; and secrete SP-D, SP-A, CC16 protein, and other substances [28]. When Clara cells are damaged or there are changes in alveolar epithelial permeability, the function of synthesis and secretion of CC16 protein of Clara cells changes, which is of great value in the diagnosis of lung injury [26]. Increased serum concentrations of CC16 can clearly indicate the presence of lung injury and positively correlated with the degree of lung injury [29–31]. SOD is a key enzyme capable of scavenging oxygen free radicals, which protects cells from superoxide damage by catalytic oxidation of superoxide free radicals into molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, thereby inhibiting oxidative protein modification and lipid peroxidation in the cell membrane [32]. In addition, SOD can increase the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) by competitively combining with superoxide to protect tissues and organs [33]. Other studies have shown that SOD can reduce lung injury caused by hyperventilation [34]. MDA is the final product of the lipid peroxidation of the main structure of the cell membrane and occurs because of the degradation of polyunsaturated lipids. Lipid peroxidation is a mature mechanism of cell damage in plants and animals, and it is used as an indicator of oxidative stress in cells and tissues [35]. MDA is a terminal product produced by cell damage or free radicals and can be used as an indicator of lung injury [36]. MPO is an important enzyme released by neutrophils and promotes the formation of hypo chloric acid, a powerful oxidant associated with bactericidal effects and tissue destruction through induction of necrosis and apoptosis [37, 38]. In previous studies, increased tissue MPO has been associated with aggravated oxidative damage of tissues [34, 39,40]. Oxidative damage leads to the destruction of the lipid structure of tissue cells, and the subsequent increase of MDA in tissues [34,41,42]. This process will excessively consume SOD, resulting in a sharp decline in SOD levels [34,42]. However, ischaemia-reperfusion injury will produce a large amount of oxygen free radicals [43]. Several experiments have shown that, in addition to histological examination, serum examination of MDA and SOD can reflect the degree of oxidative damage to tissues [39,41,44].
The results of this study showed that serum MDA in the CCPR group was significantly higher than in the ECPR group. Moreover, the serum MDA level in the CCPR group was relatively stable at 6 h after ROSC, although the serum MDA in the ECPR group showed a slowly decreasing trend within 6 h. This indicates that the oxygen free radicals that are not completely cleared in the lungs and persisted in the CCPR group after ROSC, resulting in the sustained destruction of lipids. However, the continuous decrease of serum MDA in the ECPR group may be related to the mild oxidative free radical damage and lower MDA production rate than indicative of an association with the scavenging rate. Serum SOD in the CCPR group showed a continuous declining trend, although the change of serum SOD in the ECPR group was not obvious. Furthermore, serum SOD in the ECPR group did not change significantly compared with the baseline value, and the degree of decrease was limited. In the CCPR group, SOD was involved in oxygen-free radical scavenging in tissues, which results in the continuous consumption of SOD. The oxidative radical damage in the ECPR group was mild, which slowed down the consumption of SOD. This experiment proved that the CCPR group could sustain more oxidative free radicals at the beginning of ROSC than the ECPR group and will bear greater oxidative damage after ROSC. The serum SP-A, SP-D, and CC16 levels in the two groups showed a decreasing trend following a significant increase after ROSC, and the values in the CCPR group was significantly higher than in the ECPR group, indicating that the lung injury was more serious in the CCPR than in the ECPR group. Lung injury was severe in both groups immediately after successful resuscitation and gradually decreased thereafter. Moreover, lung SP-A and SP-D in the CCPR group were significantly lower than those in the ECPR group, indicating that the lung injury in the CCPR group was more serious than that in the ECPR group.
As can be seen from the EVLW and PVPI results measured by the thermal dilution method, pulmonary oedema in the CCPR group was more serious when comparing the changes of EVLW and baseline values of the experimental animals in the CCPR group and the ECPR group at ROSC6h. The PVPI value of the CCPR group showed an abnormal increase at ROSC6h, whereas the PVPI value of ECPR group remained in the normal range and did not differ from the baseline PVPI value. The increase in PVPI is attributable to permeable pulmonary oedema; therefore, pulmonary oedema due to excess volume can be excluded. In comparison, we found that the increased EVLW in the CCPR group was mainly caused by permeable pulmonary oedema. The serum and tissue SP-A and SP-D showed that the loss of SP-A and SP-D was serious in the CCPR group because of the release of more surface-active material through damage to the blood–gas barrier rather than by secretion into the alveoli, which subsequently led to changes in the lung microstructure that increased alveolar tension, abnormal changes of permeability, and contributed to the severity of the permeable pulmonary oedema. Through this between-group comparison, we found that ECMO has a positive significance in reducing pulmonary fluid extravasation and can stabilise the vascular permeability of the lungs. Moreover, it indicated that the ECPR group had significantly lower pulmonary oedema compared with the CCPR group, indicating the lung function protection.
Furthermore, histology on electron microscopic examination showed that the CCPR group had severe alveolar type II lamellar body cell loss and inadequate storage of alveolar surface-active protein, which increased the damage to the blood–gas barrier, indicating an inability to guarantee the stability of the alveolar membrane permeability and increased permeability leading to pulmonary oedema. However, the ECPR group retained better-organised microstructure, showed alveolar type II cells with plenty of stored alveolar surface-active materials, which can be secreted as needed into the alveolar space. There was no serious damage to the blood–gas barrier, which maintains the optimal functioning of the barrier. Based on the histologic changes between the two groups, it is reasonable to assume that the ECPR group could show greater resistance to resuscitated pulmonary exogenous infection than the CCPR group when the duration of treatment is prolonged.
The limitations of our experimental study were as follows. Firstly, it was nearly impossible to perform large-scale animal experiments; therefore, the sample size was small and there was a high possibility of error and bias. Meanwhile, to enable ECMO to be added into the previous treatment process of ROSC, the catheterisation for ECMO was completed well in advance in this experiment. However, the timely placement and operation of ECMO are extremely difficult to be complete quickly in practical circumstances. Therefore, although this study concluded that the early combined application of ECMO had a positive effect, there remained some obstacles to achieve better promotion and development of this technology. Meanwhile, due to the addition of ECMO in the ECPR group, we set the thermostat of the ECMO machine to 34℃, which could have implied a mild temperature effect on the ECPR group. However, the results in the literature suggest that hypothermia has no significant benefit for CA resuscitation [45]. Therefore, we did not undertake an in-depth investigation into the effect of the abovementioned hypothermia.