Protective role of erdosteine pretreatment on oleic acid-induced acute lung injury.

BACKGROUND: Erdosteine is a mucolytic agent with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. We evaluated the protective effect of erdosteine pretreatment on oleic acid (OA)-induced acute lung injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four male Wistar Albino rats were assigned to four treatments: control (oral saline + 50 μL intravenous [i.v.] saline), OA (oral saline + 50 μL i.v. OA), erdosteine (150 mg/kg oral erdosteine + 50 μL i.v. saline), and OA + erdosteine (150 mg/kg oral erdosteine + 50 μL i.v. OA). Four hours after OA injection, lung tissues were excised for biochemical and histopathologic evaluation.

RESULTS: OA treatment increased lung weight and tissue malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl levels, but erdosteine pretreatment significantly suppressed these changes (0.57 ± 0.1 g, 3.27 ± 0.48 nmol/mg protein, and 33.57 ± 4.6 nmol/mg protein, respectively, for OA versus 0.36 ± 0.02 g, 1.84 ± 0.15 nmol/mg protein, and 22.10 ± 2.55 nmol/mg protein, respectively, for OA + erdosteine; P < 0.05 for all). Erdosteine pretreatment increased the activities of the antioxidant enzymes, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (0.16 ± 0.03 k/g and 0.3 ± 0.01 U/mg protein, respectively, for OA versus 0.33 ± 0.05 k/g and 0.34 ± 0.01 U/mg protein, respectively, for OA + erdosteine; P < 0.05 for both). Erdosteine pretreatment also significantly decreased the median numbers of intra-alveolar macrophages and intra-alveolar and interstitial neutrophils (29.0, 17.0, and 15.0, respectively, for OA versus 12.5, 4.0, and 6.5, respectively, for OA + erdosteine; P < 0.001 for all).

CONCLUSIONS: Erdosteine pretreatment increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes and decreased macrophage and neutrophil accumulation, thereby ameliorating the inflammatory effects of OA treatment. Erdosteine pretreatment prevents OA-induced oxidative stress and inflammation and protects the lung tissue against acute lung injury.