OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of ambroxol on paraquat poisoning induced acute lung tissue injury and the change of pulmonary surfactant associated protein A in the experimental rats.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomizedly assigned into normal saline (NS) group (n = 24), paraquat poisoning induced lung tissue injury model (PQ) group (n = 48) and ambroxol treatment (AT) group (n = 48). The indexes were observed among the three groups comprising the mortality rate, the change of arterial blood PaCO(2) and PaO(2), the ratio of wet to dry lung tissue (W/D), the change of the lung tissue under light and electric microscope respectively, and the expression of pulmonary surfactant associated protein A.

RESULTSThe mortality rate of rats in the PQ group was 50.0% on the seventh day while the mortality rate in the AT group was 25.0%. The level of arterial blood PaCO(2) in the PQ group (6.94 +/- 0.8) kPa was significantly higher than that in the AT group (6.12 +/- 0.5) kPa and the NS group (4.6 +/- 0.4) kPa. The level of arterial blood PaO(2) in the PQ group (6.98 +/- 1.1) kPa was significantly lower than that in the AT group (8.25 +/- 0.7) kPa and the NS group (12.7 +/- 0.8) kPa. There were significant differences among the groups (P < 0.05). The degree of lung tissue injury was severe in PQ group and relieved in AT group. The expression of pulmonary surfactant associated protein A was significantly decreased in PQ group 13.22% +/- 2.21% on the seventh day, compared with that in the AT group (21.82% +/- 3.67%) (P < 0.05). The expression of pulmonary surfactant associated protein A in AT group was significantly higher in the AT group (18.97% +/- 0.91%) than that in the PQ group on the seventh day (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAmbroxol plays a role in facilitating synthesis and secretion of pulmonary surfactant protein A and relieves the lung tissue injury induced by paraquat poisoning.