EFFECTS OF N-ACETYLCYSTEINE ON LUNG GLUTATHIONE LEVELS IN RATS AFTER BURN INJURY

This sturdy ws designed to determine the effect of N-acetylcysteine (N AG, a natural hydroxyl radical scavenger) treatment an levels of pulmo nary malondialdehyde (MDA, file end product of lipid peroxidation) and glutathione (GSH, a natural antioxidant) in thermally injured rats. S evere skill scald injury (30 percent TBSA) caused a significant decrea se in GSH levels, and a significant increase in MDA levels ill lung ti ssue both at 1 h and 1 day postburn injury. Treatment of mts with NAC (15 mg/kg intraperitoneally, 15 min and 12 h following the burn) signi ficantly improved GSH levels, and decreased ongoing lipid peroxidation at 1 day. This study showed that thermal injury resulted in increased pulmonary lipid peroxidation, and this remote organ injury was decrea sed by treatment with NAG. In addition NAG, a scavenger of hydroxyl ra dicals, improved GSH levels in the lungs. The higher level of GSH in t he lungs of the burned rats treated with NAC could be due to either a decrease in the rate of degradation of GSH or to an increase in its sy nthesis. No data about these possibilities are provided. (C) 1997 Else vier Science Ltd for ISBI. Ail rights reserved.