Vitamin C reduces ischaemia-reperfusion-induced acute lung injury.
OBJECTIVE
to evaluate vitamin C supplementation in the prevention of ischaemia-reperfusion (I-R) induced acute lung injury.


METHODS
Sprague-Dawley rats (n =6/group) were randomised into Control, I-R and I-R pretreated with vitamin C (3.3 g over 5 days). Ischaemia-reperfusion injury was induced by 30 minutes infrarenal aortic cross-clamping and 120 minutes reperfusion.


METHODS
pulmonary microvascular injury was measured by broncho-alveolar lavage protein concentration, pulmonary neutrophil infiltration by tissue myeloperoxidase activity and bronchoalveolar lavage neutrophil counts. In a second experiment (n =5/group) neutrophil respiratory burst activity was measured in Control and vitamin C groups.


RESULTS
ischaemia-reperfusion resulted in a significant increase in both microvascular leakage and pulmonary neutrophil infiltration as measured by bronchoalveolar lavage protein concentration and pulmonary myeloperoxidase activity respectively. Pretreatment with vitamin C significantly attenuated both microvascular leakage and neutrophil infiltration. Neutrophil respiratory burst activity was significantly reduced in the vitamin C group (13.02 m.c.f.+/-0.3) compared with Control (19.04 m.c.f.+/-1. 9),p <0.02.


CONCLUSIONS
these data suggest that oral vitamin C therapy protects against ischaemia-reperfusion-induced acute lung injury, possibly by attenuating neutrophil respiratory burst activity.
Kearns
S R
SR
Department of Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Dublin 9, Ireland.
Kelly
C J
CJ
Barry
M
M
Abdih
H
H
Condron
C
C
Leahy
A
A
Bouchier-Hayes
D
D
D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016897:Respiratory Burst
D009195:Peroxidase; D001205:Ascorbic Acid