Figure 1

Overview of the experimental design. During the preparatory surgery (i.e. incisions for tracheostomy and for catheters in the neck and abdomen including temporary evisceration of the spleen), all three groups are n = 10. Prot-7 h was ventilated with V_T 6 mL × kg⁻¹ and PEEP 5 cmH₂O and Prot-5 h with V_T 10 mL × kg⁻¹ and PEEP 5 cmH₂O from −2 to 0 h. From 0 h, Prot-7 h and Prot-5 h were combined into one group, Prot-V (n = 20), and ventilated with V_T 6 mL × kg⁻¹ and PEEP 10 cmH₂O until the end of the experiment. The control group was ventilated with V_T 10 mL × kg⁻¹ and PEEP 5 cmH₂O for the entire experiment. From 0 h, an endotoxin infusion was given at a rate of 0.25 μg × kg⁻¹ × h⁻¹ until the end of the experiment.