UCSF

In severe trauma and hemorrhage the early and empiric use of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is associated with decreased morbidity and mortality. However, utilization of FFP comes with the significant burden of shipping and storage of frozen blood products. Dried or lyophilized plasma (LP) can be stored at room temperature, transported easily, reconstituted rapidly with ready availability in remote and austere environments. We have previously demonstrated that FFP mitigates the endothelial injury that ensues after hemorrhagic shock (HS). In the current study, we sought to determine whether LP has similar properties to FFP in its ability to modulate endothelial dysfunction in vitro and in vivo. Single donor LP was compared to single donor FFP using the following measures of endothelial cell (EC) function in vitro: permeability and transendothelial monolayer resistance; adherens junction preservation; and leukocyte-EC adhesion. In vivo, using a model of murine HS, LP and FFP were compared in measures of HS- induced pulmonary vascular inflammation and edema. Both in vitro and in vivo in all measures of EC function, LP demonstrated similar effects to FFP. Both FFP and LP similarly reduced EC permeability, increased transendothelial resistance, decreased leukocyte-EC binding and persevered adherens junctions. In vivo, LP and FFP both comparably reduced pulmonary injury, inflammation and vascular leak. Both FFP and LP have similar potent protective effects on the vascular endothelium in vitro and in lung function in vivo following hemorrhagic shock. These data support the further development of LP as an effective plasma product for human use after trauma and hemorrhagic shock.