title: Antioxidant protection systems of rat lung after chronic ethanol inhalation.
abstract: The effect of chronic ethanol administration on pulmonary antioxidant protection systems was investigated in male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to room air or room air containing ethanol vapors for 5 weeks. Blood ethanol concentrations in ethanol-exposed rats were usually between 200 and 300 mg/dl. Glutathione, vitamin E, and malondialdehyde concentrations were measured in lung homogenates, and antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase) were determined in the supernatant fractions. For comparison, the measurements were also made using liver fractions. Ethanol treatment increased the activities of catalase (117%) and Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (25%) in lung but not in liver. Although chronic ethanol inhalation lowered hepatic glutathione (19%) and hepatic vitamin E (33%), there was no increase in malondialdehyde content in either liver or lung of ethanol-exposed rats. The elevation of pulmonary antioxidant enzyme activities could be interpreted to mean that lung is a target for ethanol-induced oxidative stress. However, as there was no loss of pulmonary GSH or vitamin E and no increase in malondialdehyde formation, it appears that long-term ethanol exposure did not produce a significant degree of oxidative stress in rat lung.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Rikans
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000201:enzymology*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014810:Vitamin E; D000431:Ethanol; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005978:Glutathione