Effect of phentolamine and dexamethasone on liver injury in rats with severe smoke inhalation injury

Objective To observe the protective effect of phentolamine and dexamethasone on liver injury in rats with severe smoke inhalation injury,and to explore their potential mechanism.Methods Seventy two rats were divided into three groups: control group(saline treatment), phentolamine treatment group(group A),and dexamethasone treatment group(group B). In addition,6 animals without inhalation injury served as normal controls,and another 6 animals subjected to inhalation injury were sacrificed at 30 minutes.Results In the control group,levels of total bilirubin(TBIL),glutamic pyruvic transaminase enzyme (GPT),malondialdehyde(MDA),MDA/superoxide dismutase (SOD),and tissue water content increased,and plasma NO levels increased while liver SOD,ATP contents obviously decreased. TBIL,GPT,MDA,MDA/SOD and plasma and tissue NO level in both group A and group B were markedly lower than those in control group(P0.01). Contents of SOD and ATP in group A was higher than control group. SOD of group B was higher than group C(P0.01),but the ATP content of group B was not higher than group C(P0.05). Tissue water content of group B was lower than group C(P0.01).Conclusion Both phentometabolism, which may be associated with the protective effect on the renal function increased in rats with severe smoke inhalation injury.