A comparative study of pentoxifylline effects in adult and aged rats submitted to lung dysfunction by thermal injury.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the protective effects of pentoxifylline against lung injury observed after dorsal scald in aged animals.


METHODS
Adult (eight months old) and aged (20 months old) rats were subjected to thermal injury or sham procedure. The six hours post-trauma animals received pentoxifylline and after 24 hours were euthanatized and lung tissue samples collected. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was evaluated for total protein content and tumor necrosis factor-alpha cytokine. Malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase activity in the lung homogenate were measured and a histological lung examination was undertaken.


RESULTS
Burn injury induced oxidative stress in lung homogenate was higher in elderly-burned rats compared to adult-burned rats (p<0.001). Total protein and cytokine in bronchoalveolar lavage increased in the elderly-burned group when compared to the adult-burned group (p<0.001). All parameters decreased in both groups treated with pentoxifylline (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The injury was augmented in elderly rats when compared to adult rats. Damage was reduced with the use of pentoxifylline, however further studies are needed to evaluate the dose-response of the drug.
Department of Surgery, UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Bianca Trovello
BT
Ramallo
Elizete
E
Lourenço
Renata Harumi
RH
Cruz
Jacqueline Camargo
JC
Almeida
Murched Omar
MO
Taha
Priscilla Yuri Okochi Alves
PY
Silva
Itamar Souza
IS
Oliveira-Júnior
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000032:analysis; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D009195:Peroxidase; D010431:Pentoxifylline