title: Effect of SP-A/B in lipoic acid on acute paraquat poisoning.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was undertaken to observe the concentration of SP-A/B and the pulmonary surfactant in the lung tissue of rats with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by paraquat poisoning after the treatment of metabolic antioxidant-lipoic acid and whether its influence was related to TNF-α.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-six male Sprage-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal control group (NS group), 6 rats; paraquat poisoning group (PQ group), 30 rats; and paraquat+lipoic acid treatment group (LA group), 30 rats. The rats in the PQ and LA groups were subdivided into 3-, 6-, 12-, 24-, 48-hour subgroups, with 6 rats in each group. After the rats were sacrificed, lung tissue from the same part was taken from the rats. After HE staining, histological changes were observed in the tissue under a light microscope. Lung tissue was also taken to test the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Whole blood (0.8 mL) without anticoagulant was drawn from the tail vein of rats for the determination of the TNF-α level. The total RNA of the lung tissue was collected, and the Rt-PCR method was used to measure the levels of SP-A and SP-B mRNA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HE staining showed that histopathological changes were milder in the LA group than in the PQ group. There were significant differences in MDA and SOD levels between different intervals both in intergroups and intragroups except the 3-hour subgroup (P<0.01). Likewise, the significant differences in the levels of TNF-α were also present between the three groups and between different intervals (P<0.01). The significant differences in SP-A mRNA and SP-B mRNA amplification ratio were seen between the three groups at the same intervals (P<0.01), but the differences between different intervals in the PQ group were statistically significant (P<0.05). The differences between different intervals in the LA group were statistically significant (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lipoic acid in acute paraquat poisoning could diminish lung tissue damage by regulating directly tumor necrosis factor and indirectly the content of pulmonary surfactant so as to reduce pulmonary edema, improve lung compliance, and finally protect lung tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Shou-Peng
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Ji-Yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Yan
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Bai
keywords: Acute lung injury; Lipoic acid; Malonaldehyde; Oxygen free radical; Paraquat; Superoxide dimutase; Surfactant protein; Tumor necrosis factor-α