ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of HMT on protection of lung tissue exposed to HD in the rat. In this study twenty Albino Wistar adult male rats weighting 200 +/- 20 gram were used. Rats divided randomly into 4 groups [each group has 5 rats] as below: Normal saline group [NS], HMT group, HD group [0.25% HD] and HD+HMT group. Normal saline and HD solution were injected by intra tracheal catather. Animals in HMT and HD+HMT groups received HMT by intra peritoneal injection for 14 days daily. All rats were killed after 14 days, a part of lung tissue were removed, fixed and processed for histological evaluation by H and E staining and apoptotic cell death study by TUNEL kit. In addition, biochemical study [catalase enzyme] was measured in all groups. Histological examination and cell counting data revealed that there were no significant differences between Saline and HMT groups. Alveolar hemorrhage and inflammation, as well as, the number of apoptotic cells in the HD group was significantly increased when compared to HD+HMT group. HMT have prophylactic and therapeutics effects in the lung tissue against HD