Effects of dexmedetomidine on alveolar epithelial barrier function in rats with VILI and the role of PKC / 中华麻醉学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To evaluate the effects of dexmedetomidine on alveolar epithelial barrier function in rats with ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), and the role of protein kinase C (PKC).Methods:One hundred clean-grade male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 270-320 g, aged 4-5 months, were divided into 5 groups ( n=20 each) using a random number table method: control group (group C), VILI group (group V), PKC inhibitor group (group B), dexmedetomidine group (group D), and dexmedetomidine plus PKC agonist group (DP group). The VILI model was developed by mechanical ventilation with a tidal volume of 40 ml/kg for 4 h in anesthetized animals.Group C breathed air autonomously for 4 h without mechanical ventilation.Group V was mechanically ventilated for 4 h. In group B, bisindolvlmaleimide I 0.12 mg/kg was injected intramuscularly 1 h before mechanical ventilation.In D and DP groups, dxmedetomidine 5.0 μg/kg was injected intravenously at 20 min before mechanical ventilation, and dexmedetomidine was intravenously infused at the rate of 5.0 μg·kg -1·h -1 during mechanical ventilation.In group DP, PKC agonist phorbol-12-myristic acid-13-acetate 15 μg/kg was intraperitoneally injected at 30 min before mechanical ventilation.At 4 h of mechanical ventilation, oxygenation index (OI), lung permeability index (LPI) and wet/dry lung weight (W/D) ratio were measured, the pathological changes of lung tissues were observed, and lung injury was assessed and scored.The expression of PKC, occludin and ZO-1 protein was detected by Western blot, and the expression of PKC mRNA, occludin mRNA and ZO-1 mRNA was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results:Compared with group C, OI was significantly decreased, LPI, W/D ratio and lung injury score were increased, the expression of PKC protein and mRNA was up-regulated, and the expression of occludin and ZO-1 protein and mRNA was down-regulated in V and DP groups ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the parameters mentioned above in B and D groups ( P>0.05). Compared with group V, OI was significantly increased, LPI, W/D ratio and lung injury score were decreased, the expression of PKC protein and mRNA was down-regulated, and the expression of occludin and ZO-1 protein and mRNA was up-regulated in B, D and DP groups ( P<0.05). Compared with group D, OI was significantly decreased, LPI, W/D ratio and lung injury score were increased, the expression of PKC protein and mRNA was up-regulated, and the expression of occludin and ZO-1 protein and mRNA was down-regulated in group DP ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Dexmedetomidine can reduce the damage to alveolar epithelial barrier function in rats with VILI, and the mechanism is related to inhibition of PKC activation and up-regulation of the expression of occludin and ZO-1.