Effects of chloroquine on the acute lung injury induced by total hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in rats

Objective To investigate the effects of chloroquine (CQ) on the acute lung injury (ALI) induced by total hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) .Methods Ninety SD rats of both sexes weighing 300-350g were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=30 each) : group A sham operation; group B total hepatic I/R and group C CQ + total hepatic I/R. The animals were anesthetized with 3% pentobarbital 45 mg·kg-1. Total hepatic I/R was produced by occlusion of hepatic hilum, supra-and infra-hepatic inferior vena cava for 20 min and the occlusion was then released for reperfusion. In group C CQ 10 mg·kg-1 in normal saline (NS) 1 ml·kg-1 was injected via right femoral vein 10 min before abdomen was opened. In group A and B NS 1 ml·kg-1 was given Ⅳ instead of CQ. The animals were killed at the end of 20 min ischemia (T0); 4 h of reperfusion (T1) and 48 h of reperfusion (T2) (n=10 at each time point). Blood samples were taken at T0 and T1 from portal vein of liver for determination of plasma D-lactate, endotoxin (ETX) and TNF-α concentrations. 48 h survival rate was recorded and the animals were then killed for microscopic examination of the lung.Results Portal vein plasma D-lactate, ETX and TNF-α concentrations at T0 and T1 in group B were significantly higher than those in group A. In group C pretreatment significantly attenuated the increases induced by hepatic I/R. The 48-hour survival rate was significantly higher in group C than in group B. The histologic damage was significantly lighter in group C than in group B. Conclusion CQ has protective effects on the lung against injury induced by total hepatic I/R.