Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 65, Issue 6 2607-2616, Copyright © 1988 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Hypoxia increases glutathione redox cycle and protects rat lungs against oxidants

C. W. White, J. H. Jackson, I. F. McMurtry and J. E. Repine
Webb-Waring Lung Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Denver, Colorado.

Preexposure to hypoxia increased survival and lung reduced glutathione-to-oxidized glutathione ratios (GSH/GSSG) and decreased pleural effusions in rats subsequently exposed to continuous hyperoxia. In addition, lungs from hypoxia-preexposed rats developed less acute edematous injury (decreased lung weight gains and lung lavage albumin concentrations) than lungs from normoxia-preexposed rats when isolated and perfused with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generated by xanthine oxidase (XO) or glucose oxidase (GO). In contrast, when perfused with elastase or exposed to a hydrostatic left atrial pressure challenge, lungs isolated from hypoxia-preexposed rats developed the same acute edematous injury as lungs from normoxia-preexposed rats. The mechanism by which hypoxia preexposure conferred protection against H2O2 appeared to depend on hexose monophosphate shunt (HMPS)-dependent increases in lung glutathione redox cycle activity. First, before perfusion with GO, lungs from hypoxia-preexposed rats had increased glutathione peroxidase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (but not catalase or glutathione reductase) activities compared with lungs from normoxia-preexposed rats. Second, after perfusion with GO, lungs from hypoxia-preexposed rats had increased H2O2 reducing equivalents, as reflected by increased GSH/GSSG and NADPH/NADPH+, compared with lungs from normoxia-preexposed rats. Third, pretreatment of rats with an HMPS inhibitor, (6-aminonicotinamide) or a glutathione reductase inhibitor, [1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea] prevented hypoxia-conferred protection against H2O2-mediated acute edematous injury in isolated lungs. These findings suggest that increased detoxification of H2O2 by glutathione redox cycle and HMPS-dependent mechanisms contributes to tolerance to hyperoxia and resistance to H2O2 of lungs from hypoxia-preexposed rats.

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