Recruitment maneuvers (RM) and positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) are the cornerstone of the open lung strategy during ventilation, particularly during acute lung injury (ALI). However, these interventions may impact the pulmonary circulation and induce hemodynamic and respiratory effects, which in turn may be critical in case of pulmonary hypertension (PHT). We aimed to establish how ALI and PHT influence the cardiorespiratory effects of RM and PEEP.