Sodium nitroprusside prevents oxygen-free-radical-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction in newborn piglets

The aim of the present study was to test whether hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase (XO) induced a pulmonary vasoconstriction in newborn piglets, and whether this vasoconstriction could be attenuated or abolished by pretreatment of nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Twenty-five anesthetized newborn piglets (1-3 days old) were randomly assigned to the following four groups: the control group received saline intravenously only; the XO group received 0.1 mmol/kg of hypoxanthine subsequent with XO (1.5 U/kg); the SNP group received the same dosages of hypoxanthine/ XO together with SNP intravenously, allopurinol (ALP) group received ALP intravenously prior to hypoxanthine and XO injection. After giving XO, the pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and vascular resistance (PVR) increased, while the cardiac index decreased significantly in the XO group. By contrast, these variables were not significantly modified by XO injection in the SNP and ALP groups. The data suggest that oxygen free radicals induce a pulmonary vasoconstriction in newborn piglets, and this vasoconstriction can be prevented by infusion of the NO donor SNP.