[Effect of acute phosgene inhalation on antioxidant enzymes, nitric oxide and nitric-oxide synthase in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of acute phosgene inhalation on the antioxidant enzymes, nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in rats.


METHODS
Phosgene was produced by decomposing bis (trichdomethyl) carbonate in the presence of N,N-dimethyl formamide. SD rats were randomly divided into two groups: control and phosgene exposure groups. In a special experimental device with equipment modulating the gas flow, phosgene exposed rats inhaled phosgene quantitatively for five minutes. Two hours later, all the rats were sacrificed and the ratio of wet weight to dried weight of lung (WW/DW) was calculated. Peripheral blood, serum and liver were collected to examine the activities of antioxidant enzymes including glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), NOS, and NO level. The total content of proteins were also determined.


RESULTS
The WW/DW ratio of lung in phosgene exposure group was much higher than that in control group (P < 0.01). The activities of GST in serum and liver of phosgene exposure group increased significantly (P < 0.05). The activities of SOD, CAT, GSHPx and NOS in serum or blood and liver of phosgene exposure group were also increased significantly (P < 0.05). But the content of NO was significantly decreased (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Acute phosgene inhalation may cause a dramatically changes of several antioxidant enzyme activities, and acute injury of liver to some extent in rats. The latter is related to reactive oxygen species. But the elevation of antioxidant enzyme activities suggests that antioxidative treatment for acute phosgene poisoning should not be considered first.
Qin
Xu-jun
XJ
Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Preventive Medicine, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
Hai
Chun-xu
CX
Liang
Xin
X
Wang
Peng
P
Chen
Hong-li
HL
Liu
Rui
R
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000506:poisoning; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D010705:Phosgene / Q000506:poisoning*; D011041:Poisoning / Q000201:enzymology; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000975:Antioxidants; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D010705:Phosgene; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase