Levofloxacin decreased chest wall mechanical inhomogeneities and airway and vascular remodeling in rats with induced hepatopulmonary syndrome

The administration of antibiotics decreases bacterial translocation, reduces the activity of nitric oxide synthase and improves the gas exchange of hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) in rats. We hypothesized that levofloxacin could reduce HPS-induced respiratory mechanical inhomogeneities and airway and pulmonary vascular remodeling. We assessed the respiratory mechanical properties and lung tissue structure in 24 rats assigned to the control, HPS (eHPS) and HPS + levofloxacin (eHPS + L) groups. The administration of levofloxacin reduced the HPS-induced chest wall but not the lung mechanical inhomogeneities. The eHPS airway proportion of elastic fibers increased 20% but was similar between the control and eHPS + L groups. The eHPS vascular collagen increased 25% in eHPS but was similar between the control and eHPS + L groups. Compared to the control group, the vascular proportion of elastic fibers of the eHPS and eHPS + L groups increased by 60% and 16%, respectively. The administration of levofloxacin decreased the HPS-induced chest wall mechanical inhomogeneities and airway and vascular remodeling.