Impact of ulinastatin on cytokine production in ventilation-induced lung injury in rat

Objective To investigate the impact of ulinastatin on the cytokine production in ventilation-induced lung injury in rats.Methods Twenty-four SD rats were randomly assigned to three groups(n=8 each): sham group,large tidal volume ventilation group and ulinastatin pretreatment group.The set parameters of mechanical ventilation were VT=30 ml/kg,RR=40 breathes/min,I/E=1∶3 and FiO2=21%.After 4 h of ventilation,the concentration of protein and the total count of leukocyte in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) were determined,as well as the levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6 and IL-10 in the serum and BALF.Results The concentration of protein and the total count of leukocyte in BALF were significantly increased in large tidal volume ventilation group.Compared to that in the sham group and ulinastatin group,the levels of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 in serum and BALF were markedly elevated in the large tidal volume ventilation group,but the level of IL-10 was reduced.No significant differences in the above indexes were found between the sham group and the ulinastatin pretreatment group.Conclusion Ulinastatin could attenuate the lung injury from large tidal volume ventilation through suppressing the production of cytokines.