title: Lung toxicity of paraquat in the rat.
abstract: In a rat model of paraquat-induced lung injury, pulmonary alveolar lavage fluid metabolic parameters were assessed to establish damage, and the use of surfactant was employed as a protective agent. Three groups of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received intraperitoneal injection of paraquat (35 mg/kg body weight) in 1 ml saline, or received 1 ml saline, or no material. On d 3, 7, 14, and 21 after injection, pressure-volume curves and pulmonary alveolar lavage fluids were obtained. On d 3 paraquat significantly increased the lung wet/dry weight ratio and protein content but lowered phosphatidylcholine levels. There were no marked changes at other time points in the parameters examined. The pressure-volume curves initially moved downward and to the right on d 3 and 7 and then returned to control levels in the paraquat-treated rats. Immediate intratracheal administration of Survanta after paraquat injection (70 mg/kg body weight) tended to increase the survival rate on d 1 compared to rats without Survanta administration. Our results suggest that administration of exogenous surfactant may play a role in the treatment of patients poisoned with paraquat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Medical College Hospital, 252, Wu Hsing Street, Taipei 110-31, Taiwan. cmchen@tmc.edu.tw
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lua
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001688:Biological Products; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D006540:Herbicides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000506:poisoning*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D010269:Paraquat / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000506:poisoning*; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000378:metabolism; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D006540:Herbicides; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D010269:Paraquat; C072197:beractant