title: Phenobarbital blocks the lung edema induced by centrally injected tityustoxin in adult Wistar rats.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of phenobarbital to block the lung edema observed after intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of tityustoxin (TsTX), a toxic fraction of the Tityus serrulatus venom. We injected 1.74 microg icv (1.0 microl) of TsTX in Wistar rats pre-treated with 0.1 ml intramuscular injections of sterile saline or phenobarbital (60 or 170 mg/kg body weight). After the experiments the lungs were harvested and the pulmonary index (PI = lung/body weight x 100) calculated. The animals pre-treated with saline developed severe lung edema (PI = 1.8 +/- 0.2) after TsTX icv injection whereas those that received 170 mg/kg of phenobarbital presented no lung edema (PI = 0.71 +/- 0.02). Our results suggest that the lung edema induced by TsTX is of neurogenic nature and that 170 mg/kg of phenobarbital blocks TsTX induced lung edema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences - Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av Antonio Carlos, 6627 CEP 31270-901, Campus Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Michel Beranos Soares
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Mesquita
authors.forename: Tasso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moraes-Santos
authors.forename: Márcio Flávio Dutra
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Moraes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018757:GABA Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D018757:GABA Modulators; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D012604:Scorpion Venoms; C003609:tityustoxin; D010634:Phenobarbital