ABSTRACT
<p><b>AIM</b>To study the effect of ischemic preconditioning on lung injury following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in the hind limbs of rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=8): control group,limbs ischemia/reperfusion (LI/R) group, ischemia preconditioning (IPC) group and L-NAME group. At the end of the experiment, blood/gas analysis and the contents of serum MDA, NO, ET and lung tissue MDA, NO, ET, MPO were measured. Meanwhile, lung index and W/D) of lung were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After the rats' hind limbs suffered ischemia/reperfusion, the level of PaO2 decreased and the values of W/D, LI, MPO of the lung issure and MDA, NO, ET of plasma and lung all increased significantly in the LI/R group; but the ratio of NO/ET decreased. Compared with LI/R group, the contents of NO and ratio of NO/ET increased but other parameters decreased in the IPC group. Compared with IPC group, the contents of NO and ratio of NO/ET decreased, but other parameters increased in the L-NAME group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The IPC can attenuate lung injury following IR in the hind limbs of rats, which may correlated with the increase of NO.</p>