[Hepatic injury induced by acute lung injury in aging rats]

To investigate the induction of hepatic function damage by acute lung injury (ALI) in aging rats and the effect of Ginkgo Biloba extract (GBE) on this process.

Thirty male Wistar rats were used to produce the aging animal model. Aging rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control group, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS, intravenous injection) group, and the GBE + LPS group (GBE given 7 days before experiment, once a day, via the esophagus). Samples from the blood, the lung and the liver were collected 2 and 6 h after LPS or saline administration.

ALI was induced by intravenous injection of LPS in aging rats. Compared with the aging control, the total bilirubin content and the glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) activity in serum did not change at 2 h after LPS administration. But at 6 h, they were increased, respectively from (10.9 +/- 0.6) mg/L and (26 +/- 3) U in the control group to (30.1 +/- 2.1) mg/L and (88 +/- 12) U in the LPS group (P < 0.001). MDA content increased in the blood and the lung tissue at 2 has compared to the control group, from (15.9 +/- 1.8) micro mol/L and (18.8 +/- 2.1) nmol/mg protein to (22.1 +/- 1.9) micro mol/L and (28.8 +/- 3.1) nmol/mg protein (all P < 0.001), respectively. SOD activity in the lung tissue was decreased significantly, from (25.5 +/- 2.6) mU/L and (36.1 +/- 2.4) U/mg protein to (20.6 +/- 1.9) mU/L and (32.0 +/- 2.7) U/mg protein, respectively (P < 0.05, P < 0.001). The GSH-P(X) activity and the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity in the lung tissue at 2 hours after LPS administration were decreased markedly, from (28.2 +/- 2.8) U/mg protein and (4.9 +/- 0.5) micromol Pi x mg(-1) protein x h(-1). to (21.1 +/- 2.7) U/mg protein and (3.1 +/- 0.3) micromol Pi x mg(-1) protein x h(-1). These changes lasted 6 h after LPS administration. These parameters did not change significantly in the hepatic tissue at 2 h after LPS administration. But after 6 h, MDA content was increased from (7.9 +/- 0.9) nmol/mg protein to (10.9 +/- 0.7) nmol/mg protein; while the GSH-P(X) and the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activities were decreased markedly, from (59.0 +/- 3.9) U/mg protein and (0.87 +/- 0.04) micromol Pi x mg(-1) protein x h(-1) to (49.2 +/- 3.0) U/mg protein and (0.77 +/- 0.04) micromol Pi x mg(-1) protein x h(-1) (P < 0.001, P < 0.01). There was no obvious change in the SOD activity. All the changes were significantly attenuated in the GBE + LPS group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

Hepatic function damage could be induced by ALI in aging rats. GBE showed a protective effect on ALI and hepatic function damage in this animal model.