Abstract
Reactive oxygen species are the major contributing factors to lung ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. In this study, we tested whether a water soluble antioxidant fullerene derivative [C 60 (ONO 2 ) 7 ± 2 ] attenuates IR lung injury. Young Wistar rats were divided into two groups: control and C 60 (ONO 2 ) 7 ± 2 . Under ventilation with 95% air-5% CO 2 gas mixture and a 2.5 cm H 2 O end-expiratory pressure, the isolated lungs were perfused with a physiological solution. The experimental protocol included three periods: baseline (10 min), ischemia (45 min) and reperfusion (60 min, ventilated with 95% O 2 -5% CO 2 gas mixture). Before and after ischemia, we measured pulmonary arterial pressure (Ppa), pulmonary venous pressure and lung weight (W). Then, pulmonary capillary pressure and filtration coefficient (K fc ) were calculated. Ischemia caused increases in Ppa, W and K fc in the control group. For most cases, the above ischemia-induced increases were attenuated by the C 60 (ONO 2 ) 7 ± 2 pretreatment. Our results suggest that the antioxidant C 60 (ONO 2 ) 7 ± 2 attenuates IR-induced lung injury. © 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.