Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 73, Issue 4 1326-1333, Copyright © 1992 by American Physiological Society
Pretreatment with catalase or dimethyl sulfoxide protects alloxan-induced acute lung edema in dogs
T. Kawada, K. Kambara, M. Arakawa, T. Segawa, F. Ando, S. Hirakawa, S. Emura, S. Shoumura and H. Isono
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Gifu University School of Medicine, Japan.
We tested the preventive effects of catalase, an enzymatic scavenger of
hydrogen peroxide, or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a hydroxyl radical
scavenger, on intravenous alloxan-induced lung edema in four groups of
pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized, ventilated dogs for 3 h: saline (20
ml.kg-1.h-1) infusion alone (n = 5), alloxan (75 mg/kg) + saline infusion
(n = 5), catalase (150,000 U/kg) + alloxan + saline infusion (n = 5), or
DMSO (4 mg/kg) + alloxan + saline infusion (n = 5). Catalase or DMSO
significantly prevented the increase in plasma thromboxane B2 and
6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha over 3 h after alloxan and the accumulation
of extravascular lung water after 3 h [3.95 +/- 0.52 (SE) g/g with
catalase, 3.06 +/- 0.42 g/g with DMSO] but not early pulmonary arterial
pressor response. An electron microscopic study indicated that catalase or
DMSO significantly reduced the endothelial cellular damages after alloxan.
These findings strongly suggest that hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical
are major mediators responsible for intravenous alloxan-induced edematous
lung injury in anesthetized ventilated dogs.
