Protective effect of ulinastatin combined with dexmedetomidine on lung injury after cold ischemia-reperfusion in rats.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the protective effect of ulinastatin combined with dexmedetomidine on lung injury after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 healthy and clean male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were divided into the blank control group (group O), the model control group (group K), the ulinastatin and dexmedetomidine group (group F) according to random number table with 20 rats in each group. RESULTS: The plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and malondialdehyde (MDA) at T1, T2 and T3 time points in rats of the three groups were significantly higher than those of the T0 time point (p<0.05). The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the plasma of rats of the three groups was significantly lower at T1, T2 and T3 time point when compared with that of T0 (p<0.05). The concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 and MDA in group K at T1, T2 and T3 moments were significantly higher than those of group O (p<0.05). However, the concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and MDA in group F at T1, T2, T3 were significantly lower than those of group K (p<0.05). The activities of SOD in group K at T1, T2, T3 were all significantly higher than those of group O (p<0.05). Meanwhile, the activities of SOD in group F at T1, T2, T3 were significantly higher than those of group K (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ulinastatin combined with dexmedetomidine can reduce the inflammatory response and inhibit lipid peroxidation, eventually alleviating acute lung injury after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in rats.