ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the change of cytokine interleukin IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) occurred in acute paraquat (PQ) poisoning rats and to investigate the mechanism of acute lung injury caused by paraquat (PQ) poisoning.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>All 72 healthy adult Wistar rats were random assigned into normal control groups, paraquat high dose group (120 mg/kg), paraquat middle dose (60 mg/kg) group, paraquat low dose group (30 mg/kg). Three observing periods of time included 8, 24, 72 h and the standards of TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-10 were determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Every index of the PQ group was significantly higher than that in the NS group at the same period of time (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In the 72 h group, the high dose group was significantly higher than the middle and low dose group (P<0.05), and there was no significantly difference between the middle and low dose group (P>0.05). For the comparison of index in the same dose group, the group of 72 h was much higher than 8 h group and 24 h group (P<0.05), and there was no difference between the 8h group and 24 h group (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The cytokine may play an important role in paraquat-induced acute lung tissue injury.</p>