Montelukast Influence on Lung in Experimental Diabetes

Background and Objectives: The influence of montelukast (MK), an antagonist of cysLT1 leukotriene receptors, on lung lesions caused by experimental diabetes was studied. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on four groups of six adult male Wistar rats. Diabetes was produced by administration of streptozotocin 65 mg/kg ip. in a single dose. Before the administration of streptozotocin, after 72 h, and after 8 weeks, the serum values of glucose, SOD, MDA, and total antioxidant capacity (TAS) were determined. After 8 weeks, the animals were anesthetized and sacrificed, and the lungs were harvested and examined by optical microscopy. Pulmonary fibrosis, the extent of lung lesions, and the lung wet-weight/dry-weight ratio were evaluated. Results: The obtained results showed that MK significantly reduced pulmonary fibrosis (3.34 ± 0.41 in the STZ group vs. 1.73 ± 0.24 in the STZ+MK group p < 0.01) and lung lesion scores and also decreased the lung wet-weight/dry-weight (W/D) ratio. SOD and TAS values increased significantly when MK was administered to animals with diabetes (77.2 ± 11 U/mL in the STZ group vs. 95.7 ± 13.3 U/mL in the STZ+MK group, p < 0.05, and 25.52 ± 2.09 Trolox units in the STZ group vs. 33.29 ± 1.64 Trolox units in the STZ+MK group, respectively, p < 0.01), and MDA values decreased. MK administered alone did not significantly alter any of these parameters in normal animals. Conclusions: The obtained data showed that by blocking the action of peptide leukotrienes on cysLT1 receptors, montelukast significantly reduced the lung lesions caused by diabetes. The involvement of these leukotrienes in the pathogenesis of fibrosis and other lung diabetic lesions was also demonstrated.