Effects of remifentanil on lung ischemia-reperfusion injury and expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme mRNA in rats / 中华麻醉学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effects of remifentanil on lung ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) mRNA in rats.Methods Forty pathogen-free adult male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 300-350 g,were randomly divided into 5 groups (n =8 each)sham operation group (group S),group I/R and different doses of remifentanil groups (groups R1-R3).Lung I/R was produced by occlusion of the left hilum of lung for 45 min followed by 120 min reperfusion.Remifentanil was infused intravenously at a rate of 0.2,0.6 and 1.2 μg·kg-1 ·min-1 until 120 min of reperfusion after a loading dose of 1 μg/kg at 15 min before occlusion of the left hilum of lung in groups R1,R2 and R3,respectively.The equal volume of normal saline was given in groups S and I/R.The rats were scarified at 120 min of reperfusion and lungs were removed for microscopic examination and determination of wet/dry lung weight ratio (W/D ratio) and the expression of ACE mRNA (by RT-PCR) in the lung tissue.The pathological changes of the lung were scored.Results Compared with group S,the pathological score and W/D ratio were significantly increased and the expression of ACE mRNA was up-regulated in groups I/R,R1 and R2,and the pathological score was significantly increased (P ＜ 0.05),and no significant change was found in W/D ratio and the expression of ACE mRNA in group R3 (P ＞ 0.05).Compared with group I/R,the pathological score and W/D ratio were significantly decreased and the expression of ACE mRNA was down-regulated in groups R2 and R3,and the pathological score and W/D ratio were significantly decreased (P ＜ 0.05) and no significant change was found in the expression of ACE mRNA in group R1 (P ＞0.05).Compared with group R1,the pathological score and W/D ratio were significantly decreased and the expression of ACE mRNA was down-regulated in group R3,and the pathological score and W/D ratio were significantly decreased (P ＜ 0.05) and no significant change was found in the expression of ACE mRNA in group R2 (P ＞ 0.05).The pathological score,W/D ratio and expression of ACE mRNA were significantly lower in groups R3 than in group R2 (P ＜ 0.05).The pathological changes of the lung were significantly reduced in groups R1-R3 as compared with group I/R.Conclusion Remifentanil can attenuate lung I/R injury in rats in a dose-dependent manner and down-regulation of ACE mRNA expression may be involved in the mechanism.