The effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on tissue damage in lung after hindlimb ischemia-reperfusion

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on the lungs as a remote organ after performing hindlimb ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) and by assessing biochemical and histopathological analysis. Methods: The animals were divided into three groups: control, I/R, and I/R with CAPE. I/R period for 8 It was performed on the right hindlimb of all the anesthesied rats in I/R and CAPE with I/R group. In the CAPE with I/R group, the animals received CAPE 10 muM by intraperitoneal injection 1 h before the reperfusion. The animals in the control and I/R groups received a similar volume of saline solution by means of intraperitoneal injection. At the end of the reperfusion period, a midsternotomy was performed. Blood, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lung tissue were obtained, and were used for biochemical and histopathological examination. Results: The tissue and serum malondyaldehyde levels were significantly lower in the control (P = 0.0001 and 0.001, respectively) and in the CAPE with I/R groups (P = 0.0001 and 0.003, respectively) compared to the I/R group. Tissue Na(+)-K(+) ATPase activity in the CAPE with I/R group was significantly higher than in the I/R group (P = 0.0001). Reduced activity was found in the I/R group compared to the control group (P = 0.0001). Myeloperoxidase activity (P = 0.001) and protein concentration (P = 0.034) in BAL were significantly reduced in CAPE-treated animals when compared with the I/R group. A decreased activity and protein concentration were found in the control group compared to the I/R group (P = 0.0001 and 0.024, respectively). The lungs of the I/R group displayed intense peribronchial and perivascular leukocytic infiltration in histopathological examination compared to the CAPE with I/R group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: CAPE seems to be effective in protecting remote organ injury caused by increased oxidative stress and neutrophil accumulation that results from an I/R injury. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.