[The influence of intratracheal bleomycin instillation on peroxidative processes in rat lung tissue]

The influence of intratracheally instilled bleomycin (10 mg x kg-1) on antioxidant enzyme activity as well as on lipid peroxidation product levels after 7 and 14 days from drug administration in rat lungs was investigated. The 200-400% increase in superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, catalase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities were observed, as compared to control group. The levels of malondialdehyde, conjugated dienes and lipid hydroperoxides in lung tissue of bleomycin-treated rats were also higher than those in control group. These phenomena are the signs of adaptative mechanisms induction in lungs, protecting the tissue from dangerous effect of bleomycin-generated free radicals.