N-acetylcysteine in experimental and clinical acute lung injury

Clinically, lung injury is characterized by one or more of the following: altered gas exchange, dyspnea, decreased static compliance, and nonhydrostatic pulmonary edema. Although many antioxidants have been investigated in in vitro systems and in animal models, only some are at the developmental stage, or safe for clinical trials. Considerable evidence has recently accumulated supporting the hypothesis that leukocyte activation involves release of large quantities of highly reactive oxygen radicals, and hydrogen peroxide is partially responsible for diffuse microvascular and tissue injury in septic patients. Granulocyte depletion in animal models reduces the degree of fall in dynamic lung compliance and the increase in airflow resistance, lymph flow, and hypoxemia secondary to endotoxin administration. We hypothesized that the partial benefit derived from granulocyte depletion was due to the effective removal of a major source of oxygen radicals. Among the list of free radical scavengers, N-acetylcysteine stands out, because of its established usefulness in at least one human disease thought to be secondary to free radical organ damage (acetaminophen or paracetamol overdose). It is an extremely safe agent with a wide toxic-therapeutic window. An increasing number of animal studies indicate efficacy for this agent in the prevention and therapy of lung injury involving toxic oxygen species. We developed a randomized, double-blind protocol for the study of intravenous N-acetylcysteine in patients with established adult respiratory distress syndrome (ADRS). Results of this trial are preliminary. Nevertheless, they indicate that plasma and red cell glutathione levels are decreased in ADRS patients, and that N-acetylcysteine increases plasma cysteine as well as plasma and red cell glutathione. There are also indications that cardiopulmonary physiology is favorably affected by such therapy including improvements in chest radiograph edema scores, pulmonary vascular resistance, static compliance, oxygen delivery, and oxygen consumption.