Effect of combining aerosolization of perfluorocarbon and ambroxol in rabbits with acute lung injury

Objective To observe the effect of aerosolized perfluorocarbon (PFC) (FC77) and ambroxol on gas exchange, histopathological changes of lung after acute injury, pulmonary expression of tumor necrosis factor-α mRNA (TNF-α mRNA) and antioxidation. Methods After acute lung injury (ALI) was induced by oleic acid (OA), thirty-two rabbits were assigned raodomly to 4 groups: conventional mechanical ventilation group (A), aerosolized PFC group (B), aerosolized ambroxol group (C) and combined aerosolization group(D). The changes of gas exchange were examined before ALI, during ALI and at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th h after ALI, and histological sections taken from 6 different parts of lung were stained by HE. The expression of TNF-α mRNA in the 2 different parts of lung were detected by in situ hybridization (ISH), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in lung homogenate was determined by the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reaction. Results The PaO2 and static lung compliance (CLst) in group D significantly increased compared with group A (P0.05), but showed no significant difference with group B. The histopathological lesions of lung were less severe in group D than group A. The TNF-α mRNA expression significantly decreased in group D as compared with groups A and B (P0.05), and was more in backside of lung than foreside of lung in four groups (P0.05). The MDA levels in lung tissues decreased in group D compared with groups A and B (P0.05). Conclusion The combined aerosolization of perfluorocarbon (PFC) and ambroxol can decrease tumor necrosis factor-α mRNA expression, lessen the injury caused by free radical in lung, improve the CLst and oxygenation of lung, increase PaO2 during acute lung injury.