title: Protective effect of dexmedetomidine in a rat model of α-naphthylthiourea-induced acute lung injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We assessed the effects of dexmedetomidine in a rat model of α-naphthylthiourea (ANTU)-induced acute lung injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty Wistar Albino male rats weighing 200-240 g were divided into 5 groups (n = 8 each), including a control group. Thus, there were one ANTU group and three dexmedetomidine groups (10-, 50-, and 100-μg/kg treatment groups), plus a control group. The control group provided the normal base values. The rats in the ANTU group were given 10 mg/kg of ANTU intraperitoneally and the three treatment groups received 10, 50, or 100 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine intraperitoneally 30 min before ANTU application. The rat body weight (BW), pleural effusion (PE), and lung weight (LW) of each group were measured 4 h after ANTU administration. The histopathologic changes were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean PE, LW, LW/BW, and PE/BW measurements in the ANTU group were significantly greater than in the control groups and all dexmedetomidine treatment groups (P < 0.05). There were also significant decreases in the mean PE, LW, LW/BW and PE/BW values in the dexmedetomidine 50-μg/kg group compared with those in the ANTU group (P < 0.01). The inflammation, hemorrhage, and edema scores in the ANTU group were significantly greater than those in the control or dexmedetomidine 50-μg/kg group (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dexmedetomidine treatment has demonstrated a potential benefit by preventing ANTU-induced acute lung injury in an experimental rat model. Dexmedetomidine could have a potential protective effect on acute lung injury in intensive care patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakale, Turkey. vhanci@gmail.com
authors.forename: Volkan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hanci
authors.forename: Gamze
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yurdakan
authors.forename: Serhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yurtlu
authors.forename: Işil Özkoçak
authors.initials: IÖ
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.forename: Emine Yilmaz
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Sipahi
mesh_terms: D055371:Acute Lung Injury / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D020927:Dexmedetomidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004347:Drug Interactions; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012378:Rodenticides / Q000633:toxicity; D013890:Thiourea / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; D012378:Rodenticides; D020927:Dexmedetomidine; D013890:Thiourea; C005277:alpha-naphthyl thiourea