AIMTo explore the effect of ligustrazine injection on the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in rabbits with pulmonary ischemia/reperfusion injury after.

METHODSSingle lung ischemia/reperfusion injury animal model was used in vivo. Twenty rabbits were randomly divided into two groups( n = 10, in each), pulmonary ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R) group and I/R + ligustrazine injection (LGT) group. The tissue slides were stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH) for HO-1 to detect the expression of HO-1 in lung and to analyze the absorbance, wet to dry ratio of lung tissue weight (W/D) and the injured alveoli rate (IAR) were measured at 180 minutes after lung reperfusion. Meanwhile the lung tissue slide was prepared for electron microscopic observation at 180 minutes after reperfusion.

RESULTSHO-1 expression was upregulated in two groups in the pulmonary endothelial cells, part of pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells, extima of vessels and epithelial cells of airway, the absorbance was 0.168 +/- 0.016 (0.148 +/- 0.013), 0.186 +/- 0.014 (0.158 +/- 0.012) respectively.The LGTI group showed higher absorbance than those of the I/R group (P < 0.01), lower W/D and IAR values than those of the I/R group (P < 0.01) significantly and lighter abnormal changes of the lung tissue in morphology than those of the I/R group.

CONCLUSIONLigustrazine injection possesses notable protective effects on I/R in rabbits by increasing the expression of HO-1 in lung.