OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of pentoxifylline on one-lung ventilation injury in rabbits.

METHODSTwenty rabbit models of one-lung ventilation by intrabronchial intubation after tracheotomy were randomly allocated in control group (with one-lung ventilation) and experiment group (with one-lung ventilation and intravenous pentoxifylline administration). One-lung ventilation was maintained for 3 h in both groups using the volume-control mode (tidal volume of 8 ml/kg at the frequency of 30 per min). Arterial blood samples were taken after anesthesia and at 3 h of one-lung ventilation for arterial blood gas analysis to obtain the oxygenation index. At the end of the experiment, the pulmonary wet/dry ratio (W/D), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), NO, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) contents in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured and the histological appearance of the lung tissue was observed.

RESULTSThe oxygenation index was significantly higher (P<0.05), W/D ratio lower (P<0.05), and contents of TNF-alpha, NO and MAD in the BALF lower in the experimental group than in the control group (P<0.05). The activity of SOD increased significantly in the experimental group as compared with the control group (P<0.01), and the rabbits in the experimental group showed milder pathological changes.

CONCLUSIONIntravenous pentoxifylline may improve pulmonary ventilation function and alleviate pulmonary injury, thus offering protection against pulmonary injury after one-lung ventilation.