Acute pulmonary toxicity of acrolein in rats underlying mechanism

Acute exposure of rats to acrolein (1 or 2 ppm) resulted in reduced levels of glutathione, ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol. The activities of catal ase and glutathione peroxidase were reduced whereas an increase in the acti vities of superoxide dismutase was observed. This led to enhanced lipid per oxidation, which produced extensive lung damage as indicated by the elevate d levels of the biochemical markers-angiotensin converting enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase, protein and lactate in the bronchoalveolar lavage. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.