title: [Preventive effects of montelukast on hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of cysteinyl leukotriene(CysLT) in the pathogenesis of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension and the preventive effects of montelukast, a CysLT receptor antagonist, on hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group, hypoxic group and montelukast preventive group. The animal model of pulmonary hypertension was established by exposing the rats to normabaric hypoxic conditions for 3 weeks. The thickness of pulmonary arterioles was measured by a computerized image analyzer. The level of LTC4 in plasma was measured by EIA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the hypoxic group, the index of right ventricular hypertrophy[RV/(LV + S)] and the index of wall thickness of pulmonary arteriole (WT% and WA%) increased significantly when compared against those in the control group [RV/(LV + S): 30.85% +/- 1.44% vs 20.75% +/- 1.97%; WT%: 23.54% +/- 4.43% vs 13.17% +/- 3.67%; WA%: 72.76% +/- 9.28% vs 50.41% +/- 6.37%, P < 0.01, respectively]. Meanwhile, the plasma level of LTC4 in hypoxic rats was higher than that in control rats [(2395.40 +/- 193.86) pg/ml vs (1006.50 +/- 193.17) pg/ml, P < 0.01]. In the preventive group, the RV/(LV + S) (24.09% +/- 1.09%), WT% (15.44% +/- 4.72%) and WA% (51.98% +/- 12.18%) decreased remarkably as compared with those of the hypoxic group(P < 0.01). The plasma level of LTC4 in the preventive group (2706.25 +/- 350.49 pg/ml) was not significantly different from that in the hypoxic group(P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic hypoxia stimulates synthesis and release of LTC4. CysLT may play an important role in the pathogenesis of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension and montelukast can prevent hypoxi pulmonary hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoju
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Deyun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Xiuqiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Qiaoli
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications*; D020024:Leukotriene Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017997:Leukotriene C4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011804:Quinolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018077:Receptors, Leukotriene; D013440:Sulfides
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D020024:Leukotriene Antagonists; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011804:Quinolines; D018077:Receptors, Leukotriene; D013440:Sulfides; D017997:Leukotriene C4; C083169:leukotriene D4 receptor; C093875:montelukast