Circulatory shock
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Inhalation injury was produced in sheep that were chronically prepared for study. The injury was induced by insufflating them with smoke from burning cotton cloth. One group of animals was treated with the oxygen-free radical scavenger dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and heparin. ⋯ The treated groups showed much smaller responses to the inhalation insult. This was especially true in the animals that received the DMSO. These findings support the concept that oxygen free radicals are responsible for the pulmonary edema associated with inhalation injury.