Korean J Intern Med.  2018 Nov;33(6):1137-1142. 10.3904/kjim.2017.334.

Prolonged low-dose cyclophosphamide treatment after pulse therapy attenuates lung injury in rats with paraquat intoxication

• Gao J
• Feng S
• Li Y

• KMID: 2426398
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2017.334

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
This study tested the hypothesis that prolonged low-dose cyclophosphamide (CTX) treatment after pulse therapy attenuate paraquat (PQ)-induced lung injury in rats.
METHODS
PQ (25 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to induce PQ-intoxicated rat model. The rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group (1 mL/day saline solution for 14 days), PQ group (1 mL/day saline solution for 14 days after PQ exposure), pulse group (15 mg/kg/day CTX in 1 mL of saline solution for 2 days and subsequent 1 mL/day saline solution for 12 days), and prolonged low-dose group (15 mg/kg/day CTX in 1 mL of saline solution for 2 days and subsequent 1.5 mg/kg/day CTX in 1 mL of saline solution for 12 days). A 14-day follow-up was conducted to determine the survival rat, and lung hydroxyproline (HYP), wet-to-dry weight ratios (W/Dc) and histopathological changes were evaluated.
RESULTS
Results showed similar survival rate (55% vs. 50%, p > 0.05) between prolonged low-dose and pulse groups. Lung W/Dc (4.94 ± 0.38 vs. 5.47 ± 0.28, p < 0.01), HYP (3.34 ± 0.29 µg/mg vs. 3.65 ± 0.19 µg/mg, p < 0.001), and fibrosis score (2.69 ± 0.84 vs. 3.13 ± 0.63, p < 0.05) were lower in prolonged low-dose group than those in the pulse group.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggested prolonged low-dose CTX treatment after pulse therapy could attenuate PQ-induced lung injury in rats.

Keyword

Paraquat; Cyclophosphamide; Survival rate; Lung fibrosis

MeSH Terms

Animals
Cyclophosphamide*
Fibrosis
Follow-Up Studies
Hydroxyproline
Lung Injury*
Lung*
Models, Animal
Paraquat*
Rats*
Sodium Chloride
Survival Rate
Cyclophosphamide
Hydroxyproline
Paraquat
Sodium Chloride