Therapeutic hypothermia attenuates acute lung injury in paraquat intoxication in rats

Aim of the study: Paraquat intoxication induces acute lung injury and numerous fatalities have been reported. The mechanism of toxic effect of paraquat is oxidative injury and inflammation. Therapeutic hypothermia has been known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of therapeutic hypothermia on paraquat intoxication. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given 50 mg/kg of paraquat intraperitoneally and divided into the normothermia (36-38 degrees C) group and the hypothermia (30-32 degrees C) group after 1 h of paraquat administration. The hypothermia group underwent 2 h of hypothermia followed by 2 h of rewarming. In the survival study, mortality was observed for 24 h after paraquat administration. An in the second experiment, lung tissues and plasma were harvested at 6 h after paraquat administration. Results: The 12 h survival rate was significantly higher in the hypothermia group than in the normothermia group (100% vs. 50%, p < 0.05), but survival rates for 24 h were not different. Acute lung injury score was lower in the hypothermia group than in the normothermia group (p < 0.05). Thmalondialdehyde contents of lung tissues, plasma interleukin-6 and nitrite/nitrate concentrations were significantly decreased in the HT group compared to the NT group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Therapeutic hypothermia delayed early mortality and attenuated acute lung injury in paraquat intoxication. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.