Pulmonary intravascular macrophages and endotoxin-induced pulmonary pathophysiology in horses.

Abstract

Endotoxemia causes significant mortality and morbidity in horses. The mechanisms underlying this complex pathophysiology remain unclear. Therefore, effective tools to treat endotoxemia in horses are lacking. Furthermore, the multifactorial and multiorgan pathophysiology of equine endotoxemia has not been fully addressed, especially the lung injury associated with endotoxemia. Within the context of the broader picture of endotoxemia and lung injury, we offer a perspective on the roles of pulmonary intravascular macrophages in endotoxin-induced lung inflammation in horses.