Effectiveness evaluation of E+c vitamin combination and N-acetylcysteine treatment on experimental continuous hyperoxic lung injury

Aim: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. We aimed to assess the efficiency of E+C vitamin combination and N-acetylcysteine in reducing hyperoxic lung injury at the histopathologic and biochemical levels.Materials and Methods: The experiment was carried out with 36 newborn rat pups divided into four groups during postnatal days 3 to 13. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia was induced by exposure to hyperoxia in neonatal rats. The rats were divided randomly into four groups: air-exposed control group (n=9), hyperoxia-exposed group (n=9), hyperoxia-exposed N-acetylcysteine-treated group (n=8) and hyperoxia-exposed E+C vitamin-treated group (n=10). Lung specimens and serums were obtained respectively on day 10 after exposure. The serum and lung specimens paraoxonase, arylesterase, total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, oxidative stress index, lipid hydroperoxide were evaluated. In addition, fibrosis and inflammation of lung tissues were evaluated as pathological.Result: Tissue paraoxanase and arylesterase levels were higher in all three hyperoxic groups than control group. Lung total antioxidant capacity levels were increased in all three hyperoxic group. This increase was statistically significant in N-acetylcysteine and vitamin groups than in control groups (p<0.001 in both groups). Total antioxidant capacity levels in lung tissue were significantly higher both in N-acetylcysteine and in vitamin groups compared to hyperoxic group (p=0,001 and p= 0,002). Tissue total oxidant status levels were significantly increased in all three hyperoxic group compared to control group (p<0,001). Although tissue total oxidant status leves were lower in treatment groups compared to hyperoxic group, difference was significant only in vitamin group (p=0,08 in N-acetylcysteine group, p=0,011 in E+C vitamin group). Serum arylesterase levels were significantly higher in vitamin group compared to all three groups (p?0,001 for all). Serum total antioxidant capacity levels were significantly higher in both N-acetylcysteine and vitamin groups compared to hyperoxic group (p=0,017 and 0,014 respectively). Serum total oxidant status levels were mildly lower in N-acetylcysteine and vitamin groups compared to hyperoxic group. Serum oxidative stress index levels were significantly lower in N-acetylcysteine and vitamin groups compared to hyperoxic group(p=0,002 and 0,032 respectively). Lipid hydroperoxide level was lower in treatment group (N-acetylcysteine+vitamin) compared to hyperoxic group (p=0,021). In addition, lesslung fibrosis and inflammation were observed in traetment group.Conclusion: In hyperoxic rat lung injury model, both N-acetylcysteine traetment and vitamin E+C treatment were detected to be over the plasebo.Key words: Hyperoxia, Lung damage, N-acetylcysteine, Vitamin E, Vitamin C