Ulinastatin protects rat pulmonary tissues from paraquat-induced acute injury / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To investigate the protective effects of ulinastatin on the rats with paraquat-induced acute lung injury and its mechanisms .METHODS:The Wistar rats ( n=108 ) were randomly divided into control group , pa-raquat group and ulinastatin group .The rats in paraquat group and ulinastatin group were given paraquat by gavage , while the rats in control group were given sterile saline by gavage .The rats in ulinastatin group were also given ulinastatin treat-ment.The serum levels of MDA, SOD, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-αwere measured after 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, 14 d, 21 d and 28 d. The expression levels of p 38 MAPK, MMP-2 and TIMP-1 in the lung were also measured .RESULTS:The levels of SOD in 1 d, 3 d and 7 d in paraquat group and ulinastatin group were significantly lower than those in control group ( P<0.01).The level of SOD in ulinastatin group was significantly higher than that in paraquat group (P<0.05).The levels of MDA, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-αin 1 d, 3 d and 7 d in paraquat group and ulinastatin group increased compared with con-trol group (P<0.01), and those in ulinastatin group were significantly lower than those in paraquat group (P<0.05). The levels of p38 MAPK and TIMP-1 in 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, 14 d, 21 d and 28 d in paraquat group and ulinastatin group were higher than those in control group (P<0.01), and those in ulinastatin group was significantly lower than those in paraquat group ( P<0.05) .The level of MMP-2 in 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, 14 d and 21 d in paraquat group and ulinastatin group increased compared with control group (P<0.01), and that in ulinastatin group was significantly lower than that in paraquat group (P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Ulinastatin protects the lung tissues of rats from paraquat-induced acute lung injury by in-hibiting p38 MAPK signaling pathway and ameliorating inflammatory and oxidative responses .