Lung injury of rabbit induced by reperfusion of limb ischemia and the interference effect of puerarin

Objective To investigate the change of antioxidation system,the number of cell apoptosis and the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in lung injury of rabbit after reperfusion of limb ischemia and the interference effect of puerarin. Methods Sixty rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups.Group A were sham-operated animals;group B were ischemia-reperfusion animals;group C,animals treated by puerarin.At the end of the experiment,the animals were killed and the left lung extraced in order to detected the antioxidant status of lung tissue.Lung index was calculated as a maker of edema.The lung histopathologic changes in experimental rabbits were observed.Immunohistochemical studies and TUNEL were done to evaluate cell apoptosis.The activity of SOD and GSH-PX as well as XOD,the content of MDA and NO as well as the expressions of Bax and Bcl-2 in lung tissue were determined. Results In the rabbit model with bilateral hind limb(IR) injury,the SOD,GSH-PX activity and NO content were significantly decreased,and the XOD activity,MDA level and lung index were increased.Conversely,rabbits treated with puerarin before the onset of the ischemic period,the XOD and MDA levels were significantly reduced,as well as SOD,GSH-PX and NO levels elevated,and pulmonary edema significantly less.In addition,the histopathologic detection showed that more severe lesion in IR group rabbits than the rabbits treated with puerarin.Puerarin could suppress XOD activity,reduce the MDA production,inhibit Bax expression and cell apoptosis,and induce Bcl-2 expression in lung tissue. Conclusion Puerarin has protective effect on lung injury of rabbit with limb ischemia-reperfusion which is due to its elevating the ability of antioxidisity and its anti-lipid peroxidation reaction.