Comparative Study on Curative Effects of Pulmonary Perfusion with Ulinastatin and Ambroxol on Lung Injury Induced by Paraquat in Rabbits

Objective To compare the curative effects of selected lung lavage fluids on rabbits'lung injury induced by paraquat (PQ).

Methods Thirty rabbits were randomly assigned to PQ group,normal saline group,ambroxol group,ulinastatin group,and control group,with six rabbits per group.Rabbits of the exposure groups were intragastrically administered once with PQ at 50 mg/kg;the normal saline,ambroxol,and ulinastatin groups were treated by lung lavage with respective agents after 24 h exposure of PQ;animals in the control group were administered with 50 mg/kg physiological saline and treated by lung lavage with saline after 24 h.Before exposure and at 1,3&7 d after exposure,rabbit auricular vein blood was sampled for serum examination.The animals were executed on the 7th day after exposure and right lung tissues were sampled for pathological observation.

Results On the 3rd and 7th day after exposure,the levels of serum myeloperoxidase (MPO),hydroxyproline (HYP),interleukin 1(IL-1),and tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) of the normal saline,ambroxol,and ulinastatin groups were significantly lower than those of the PQ group (all Ps<0.05).On the 7th day after exposure,the MPO level and IL-1 level were lower in the ambroxol group than those in the normal saline group (both Ps<0.05);the HYP level in the ambroxol group was higher than that in the ulinastatin group (P<0.05),but lower than that in the normal saline group (P<0.05);the TNF-α level in the ulinastatin group was lower than that in the ambroxol group (P<0.05).Milder pathological changes were found in the three lung lavage groups than those in the PQ group.

Conclusion Lung lavage might have protective effects on the inflammatory response of acute lung injury caused by PQ in rabbits.Lung lavage with ambroxol or ulinastatin is better than using physiological saline alone.