Protective effect of dexmedetomidine in a rat model of ?- naphthylthiourea-induced acute lung injury

Background: We assessed the effects of dexmedetomidine in a rat model of ?-naphthylthiourea (ANTU)-induced acute lung injury. Methods: Forty Wistar Albino male rats weighing 200-240 g were divided into 5 groups (n = 8 each), including a control group. Thus, there were one ANTU group and three dexmedetomidine groups (10-, 50-, and 100-µg/kg treatment groups), plus a control group. The control group provided the normal base values. The rats in the ANTU group were given 10 mg/kg of ANTU intraperitoneally and the three treatment groups received 10, 50, or 100 µg/kg of dexmedetomidine intraperitoneally 30 min before ANTU application. The rat body weight (BW), pleural effusion (PE), and lung weight (LW) of each group were measured 4 h after ANTU administration. The histopathologic changes were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin staining. Results: The mean PE, LW, LW/BW, and PE/BW measurements in the ANTU group were significantly greater than in the control groups and all dexmedetomidine treatment groups (P < 0.05). There were also significant decreases in the mean PE, LW, LW/BW and PE/BW values in the dexmedetomidine 50-µg/kg group compared with those in the ANTU group (P < 0.01). The inflammation, hemorrhage, and edema scores in the ANTU group were significantly greater than those in the control or dexmedetomidine 50-µg/kg group (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine treatment has demonstrated a potential benefit by preventing ANTU-induced acute lung injury in an experimental rat model. Dexmedetomidine could have a potential protective effect on acute lung injury in intensive care patients. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.The authors would like to thank Dr. E. Schilliger from Schering AG, Berlin, Germany, for his gift of ?-naphthylthiourea (Interchem). We thank Hasan Tahsin Yilmaz and Bayram Cakan for their assistance in the Animal Research Laboratory. This study was supported by intramural funding from the Zonguldak Karaelmas University’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs