title: The anesthetic agent sevoflurane attenuates pulmonary acute lung injury by modulating apoptotic pathways.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate lung protection by the volatile anesthetic sevoflurane (SEVO), which inhibits apoptosis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (250-280 g; n=18) were randomly divided into three groups. The LPS group received 5 mg/kg endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide), which induced acute lung injury (ALI). The control (CTRL) group received normal saline and the SEVO group received sevoflurane (2.5%) for 30 min after ALI was induced by 5 mg/kg LPS. Samples were collected for analysis 12 h after LPS. Lung injury was assessed by pathological observations and tissue wet to dry weight (W/D) ratios. Apoptotic index (AI) was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay and electron microscopy. Caspase-3 and cleaved-caspase-3 protein levels were determined by immunocytochemistry and western blotting, respectively. Bcl-xl levels were measured by western blotting and Bcl-2 levels by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. In the LPS group, W/D ratios, AI values, caspase-3 and cleaved-caspase-3 levels were significantly higher than in the CTRL group and lung injury was more severe. In the SEVO group, W/D ratios, AI, caspase-3 and cleaved-caspase-3 were lower than in the LPS group. Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl expression were higher than in the LPS group and lung injury was attenuated. Sevoflurane inhalation protected the lungs from injury by regulating caspase-3 activation and Bcl-xl and Bcl-2 expression to inhibit excessive cell apoptosis, and such apoptosis might be important in the pathogenesis of LPS-induced ALI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.|Department of Anesthesiology, Suzhou Municipal Hospital-East, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Cam-Su Genomic Resource Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Suzhou Municipal Hospital-East, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D055371:Acute Lung Injury / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008297:Male; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000077149:Sevoflurane
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane