title: Beta-carotene protects rats against bronchitis induced by cigarette smoking.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the protective effects of beta-carotene in rats against the development of chronic bronchitis induced by cigarette smoking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three study groups: (1) control (n = 15), animals underwent no treatment; (2) cigarette smoking (n = 15), animals developed chronic bronchitis through long-term cigarette smoking twice a day for 75 d; (3) beta-carotene plus cigarette smoking animals (n = 12) were given 1 ml or 15 mg/kg beta-carotene orally every day just before cigarette smoking. The levels of IL-6, IL-8, NO, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lipoperoxide (LPO) in serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue were measured and the pathological changes to lung tissue were analyzed using light microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Long-term cigarette smoking caused an obvious increase in the amount of IL-6, IL-8 and LPO and a sharp decrease in the levels of NO and SOD in smoking animals compared to controls. beta-carotene intake reversed all the changes induced by smoking and alleviated the pathological changes caused by chronic bronchitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quantitative oral intake of beta-carotene had protective effects against chronic bronchitis induced by long-term cigarette smoking, which was associated with the increased production of NO, the clearance of some oxidative free radicals (OFR) and the alleviation of chronic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Chaoyang Hospita, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100020, China.
authors.forename: Baosen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xinzhi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Xiaonai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shujie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Yanling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Xiuxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D019207:beta Carotene; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase