The Mechanisms of Endothelin-1 in Rat Paraquat Poisoning

Objective:To observe the change of endothelin-1(ET-1)in paraquat(PQ)poisoning rats and to explore the mechanism of lung injury caused by PQ poisoning.Methods:25 Male wistar rats were randomly assigned to PQ poisoning group and control group.Rats in the PQ group were each given a single intraperitoneal injection of PQ(16mg/kg body weight),while normal saline was injected to the rats in the control group.The rats were sacrificed at 6,12,24 and 72 hours after the administration of PQ.The performance of the rats were observed,the pathological changes of the lung were studied.lung coefficient and ET-1 levels in lung homogenates and in blood were measured.Results:The PQ poisoned rats had apparent dyspnea,accompanied with marked decrease in activities.lung coefficient rose significantly along with time(P0.05).Microscopic examination reviewed lung tissue damage with alveolar edema and bleeding.ET-1 levels in the lung homogenate and blood of PQ group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P0.05).Conclusion:ET-1 may play an important role in paraquat-induced lung damage.