Abstract:

Objective To compare the effects of sodium aescinate and medrol on acute lung injury(ALI) induced by oleic acid(OA) in rat model.
Methods Ninety male SD rats were randomly divided into nine groups, which were normal control 2 h, 6 h, 18 h groups, aescinate 2 h, 6 h, 18 h groups and medrol 2 h, 6 h, 18 h groups with 10 rats in each group. ALI models of rats were made by injecting OA(0.1 mL·kg^-1) through caudal veins, 30 min later the rats were intravenously injected with aescin sodium(2 mg·kg^-1) and medrol (5 mg·kg^-1) in two groups. Rats in normal control groups were injected with sodium chloride(0.1 mL·kg^-1) through caudal veins. Rats in each group were observed and sacrificed to detect correlated indices at 2 h, 6 h and 18 h after administration. The observed indicators included the partial arterial blood oxygen pressure(PaO2), lung wet/dry weight ratio(W/D), the levels of plasma and lung tissue superoxide dismutase(SOD), malondialdehyde(MDA), matrix metallo-proteinase gelatinase B(MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase(TIMP-1).
Results Compared with normal control group, as 2 h, 6 h and 18 h, there were no significant change(P>0.05) in PaO₂, W/D, SOD, MDA, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in aescinate and medrol groups. Compared with medrol group, as 2 h and 6h, PaO2 of rats in aescinate group increased significantly(P<0.01) while there was an increasing tendency as 18 h(P>0.05); As6h, W/D of rats in sodium group decreased significantly(P<0.01) while there were no significant change(P>0.05) at 2 h and 18 h.
Compared with medrol group, at 2 h, 6 h and 18 h, there were no significant change(P>0.05) in plasma and lung tissue SOD, MDA, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in aescin group.
Conclusion Both aescin and medrol had anti-inflammatory and anti-exudative effect on ALI model of rats induced by OA. In the initial stage of the treatment, aescin had better effect while both had considerable effects in midanaphase.

Key words: sodium aescinate, medrol, oleic acid, acute lung injury, model of rats