Sevoflurane pretreatment prevents lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury in rats through up-regulated heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression

To observe the effect of sevoflurane pretreatment with different concentrations on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into six groups in different sevoflurane pretreatment experiment, Group A (control), Group B (1.5 MAC sevoflurane), Group C (1.5 MAC sevoflurane + LPS), Group D (1.0 MAC sevoflurane + LPS), Group E (0.5 MAC sevoflurane + LPS) and Group F (LPS) at random. Besides, SD rats were divided into other six groups in induced HO-1 expression experiment, Group A (control group), Group B (ZnPP), Group C (1.0 MAC sevoflurane), Group D (1.0 MAC sevoflurane + LPS), Group E (ZnPP + 1.0 MAC sevoflurane + LPS) and Group F (LPS). Using traditional method to detect pathological changes, wet/dry ratio (W/D), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and HO-1 activity; detecting the mRNA and protein level of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) and HO-1 by RT-PCR and Western blot. 1.0 MAC sevoflurane pre-treatment could effectively protect ALI with decreasing pathomorphological scores, MPO activity, W/D and down-regulated expression of ICAM-1 and CINC. Furthermore, 1.0 MAC sevoflurane pre-treatment could significantly induced HO-1 expression suggesting sevoflurane may protect ALI from inflammation through inducing abundant HO-1 expression. Sevoflurane pre-treatment may be an effective avenue to alleviate ALI through inducing HO-1 expression.   Key words: Sevoflurane, acute lung injury, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1).