The effect of ecdysterone on rat lung reperfusion injury

AIM: The present experiment aimed to study whether ecdysone could pretect against rat lung reperfusion injury. METHODS: The experiments were carried out in rat model of lung reperfusion. The blood vigour in artery and the contents of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in lung tissue were measured. The changes of pulmonary microvasculature were observed by light microscopy. Forty eight rats were randomly divided into four groups of twelve rats (1) control group: only left thoracotomy was given; (2) injury group: left thoracotomy and left lung reperfusion were given; (3) hydrocortisone (HCS) contrast group: a cervical intravenous injection of HCS (10 mg·kg -1); (4) ecdysterone (EDS) group: a cervical intravenous injection of EDS (30 mg·kg -1). RESULTS: (1) the value of PaO 2, pH and HCO 3/ - were higher in EDS group than in injury group. (2) the content of ACE and MDA were lower in EDS group than in injury group, and in HCS group; the SOD activity was higher in EDS group than in injury group, and in HCS group; (3) the pathological changes of pulmonary microvasculature of rat lung reperfusion such as narrow vascular vessel and swelling of endothelium were less severe in EDS group than in injury group and similar in EDS group to HCS group. CONCLUSION: EDS could alleviate injury of pulmonary vascular endothelial cells induced by reperfusion and further caused protective effect on lung reperfusion injury in rat. The effect of EDS seems to be more potent than HCS. The mechanism of the protective effect of EDS might be due to its anti-free radical activity.