title: [The role of N-acetylcysteine against the injury of pulmonary artery induced by LPS].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the alleviating effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and its mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of NAC on changes of the pulmonary arterial reactivity and the ultrastructure of pulmonary arterial endothelium induced by LPS were observed with the isolated artery ring technique and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) contents and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of pulmonary artery tissues were detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The exposure of pulmonary artery to LPS (4 microg/ml, 7 h) led to reduction of endothelium-dependent relaxation response to acetylcholine (ACh), which was reversed by the concomitant exposure to NAC (0.5 mmol/L, 7 h), whereas NAC itself had no effect on the response. Significant structural injury were observed under SEM in LPS group and alleviated the changes in LPS + NAC group. The MDA, NO contents increased but SOD activity decreased in LPS group, which were reversed by the concomitant exposure to NAC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NAC protects pulmonary artery endothelium and enhances endothelium-dependent relaxation response of pulmonary artery by antioxidation effect, which may be one of the mechanisms of its reversing pulmonary artery hypertension and following lung injury induced by LPS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Hebei Medical University, shijiazhuang 050017, China.
authors.forename: Xin-li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yi-ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Tie-nian
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004727:Endothelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011817:Rabbits; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000111:Acetylcysteine