Pre-treatment with Cobra venom factor alleviates acute lung injury induced by intestinal ischemia-reperfusion in rats

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that complement activation is required for intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (IIR)-induced tissue damage. Cobra venom factor (CVF), a struc - tural and functional homolog to the activated form of C3 (the central component of the complement system), can cause exhaustive activation of the al - ternative pathway and deplete the complement components. AIM: This study aims to investigate the effect of CVF pretreatment on acute lung injury in - duced by IIR in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lung injury was induced by clamping superior mesenteric artery (SMA) for 60 min followed by 4 h of reperfusion. CVF was given via the tail vein 24 h before the operation. RESULTS: Histological results as well as lung edema determination and permeability assay showed the severe damages were induced in the lungs of rats in the IIR group, accompanying with the increases in the levels of pulmonary malondi - aldehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), inter - leukin (IL)-8. Remarkably, CVF pretreatment signif - icantly attenuated the morphological lung injury, lung edema and lung permeability, reduced the in - crease of the levels of MDA, MPO, ICAM-1 and IL-8 induced by IIR. In addition, the severe damage of intestinal and elevation of plasma diamine oxidase activity in the IIR rats were significantly alleviated by CVF pretreatment. CONCLUSIONS: CVF pretreatment could sig - nificantly reduce the acute lung injury induced by IIR. The mechanism might include, at least in part, the inhibition of oxidant generation, infiltra -