ABSTRACT
Objective: To explore the protective effect of glutamine (GLN) on the hyperoxia lung injury in the neonatal rats, and to elucidate its mechanism. Methods: A total of 90 male and female Wistar rats were selected and randomly divided into control group (FiO2: = 21%). hyperoxia group ( FiO2: > 85%) and hyperioxia + glutamine (GLN) group (FiO2: > 85%) (n=30). The rats in hyperioxia group and hyperioxia + GLN groups were used to establish the models of hyperoxia lung injury (HALI). The rats in hyperoxia+ GLN group were intraperitoneally injected with 0. 75 g • kg-1 • d-1 GLN from the first day of experiment, and the rats in other two groups were abdominally injected with the same volume of normal saline. The body weights, water contents in the lung tissue of the neonatal rats in various groups on the 3rd. 7th. and 14th days of the experiment were measured. I IF staining was used to determine the morphology of lung tissue of the rats in various groups; ELISA was used to detect the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6)∗ interleukin-1|ß (IL-lf3) and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) in the lung tissue homogenate of the rats in various groups. Results: Compared with control group at the same time, the weights of the neonatal rats in hyperoxia group were significantly decreased on the 3rd. 7th and 14th days ( P∗CO. 05); the body weights of neonatal rats in hyperoxia + GLN group were significantly higher than those in hyperoxia group at the same time (P<0. 05). On the 3rd. 7th. and 14th days, the water contents of lung tissue of the rats in hyperoxia group were higher than those in control group at the same time ( P< 0. 05). and the difference was gradually increased with the prolongation of time; the water contents of lung tissue of the rats in hyperoxia • GLN group were significantly lower than those in hyperoxia group ( P