title: Protective effects of erythropoietin and N-acetylcysteine on methotrexate-induced lung injury in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Methotrexate (MTX) is known to have deleterious side effects on lung tissue. We aimed to investigate the effects of erythropoietin (EPO) and N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) on MTX-induced lung injury in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animal experiment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups. Sham group, 0.3 mL saline; MTX group, 5 mg/kg MTX; EPO group, 5mg/kg MTX and 2000 IU/kg EPO; NAC group, 5 mg/kg MTX and 200 mg/kg NAC were administered once daily for 4 consecutive days. Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and inflammation and congestion scores in lung tissues were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In MTX group MDA were significantly higher, CAT and SOD were significantly lower than in sham, EPO and NAC groups (p<0.005). In EPO group MDA, CAT, and SOD were higher, but not significant than those in group NAC (p>0.005). In group MTX both scores were significantly higher than in sham (p<0.005). The congestion score of group MTX was significantly higher than those of group EPO and NAC (p<0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EPO and NAC have significant preventive effects on MTX-induced lung injury in rats. Decreased antioxidant capacity and increased MDA level may cause the oxidative damage in MTX group. Also, higher antioxidant capacity and lower MDA level may be a response to oxidative stress in EPO and NAC groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kahraman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ergül
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kurutaş
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokur
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.
authors.forename: Harun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cıralık
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.
authors.forename: Betül
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kabakcı
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurhan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Köksal
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.
authors.forename: Vedat
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Balkan
keywords: Methotrexate; N-acetyl-cysteine; erythropoietin; lung; oxidative damage