title: Effects of N-acetylcysteine on lung glutathione levels in rats after burn injury.
abstract: This study was designed to determine the effect of N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC, a natural hydroxyl radical scavenger) treatment on levels of pulmonary malondialdehyde (MDA, the end product of lipid peroxidation) and glutathione (GSH, a natural antioxidant) in thermally injured rats. Severe skin scald injury (30 percent TBSA) caused a significant decrease in GSH levels, and a significant increase in MDA levels in lung tissue both at 1 h and 1 day postburn injury. Treatment of rats with NAC (15 mg/kg intraperitoneally, 15 min and 12 h following the burn) significantly improved GSH levels, and decreased ongoing lipid peroxidation at 1 day. This study showed that thermal injury resulted in increased pulmonary lipid peroxidation, and this remote organ injury was decreased by treatment with NAC. In addition NAC, a scavenger of hydroxyl radicals, improved GSH levels in the lungs. The higher level of GSH in the lungs of the burned rats treated with NAC could be due to either a decrease in the rate of degradation of GSH or to an increase in its synthesis. No data about these possibilities are provided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Turkey.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Konukoğlu
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cetinkale
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bulan
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005978:Glutathione; D000111:Acetylcysteine