Ethyl pyruvate prevents acute lung injury in an experimental multitrauma model

Ethyl pyruvate (EP) is a pyruvate derivative that has been reported to improve survival, to decrease proinflammatory cytokine expression (including high mobility group box-1) and to ameliorate organ dysfunction in animals who have lethal sepsis or were subjected to hemorrhagic shock. We examined the potential protective effects of EP administered after multi-trauma on lung oxidative damage and apoptosis in a rat model with delayed resuscitation.