[Protective effect of tocopheryl esters on pulmonary edema induced by epinephrine]

The present study was performed in order to determine protective effect of dl-alpha-tocopheryl nictonate (EN) and dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (EA) on pulmonary edema induced by epinephrine (Epi) in mice. The tocopheryl esters were orally administered once a day for 10 days. Epi was then infused to induce pulmonary edema 3 hr after the final dosing. One or three min infusion of 0.01% Epi at a rate of 0.1 ml/min provoked toxic syndromes as pilorection, exophthalmos and salivation. Some animals died of respiratory failure. The lung weight either wet or dry increased after the EPi infusion and diffuse hemorrhage into alveoles was microscopically recognized in untreated animals. However, these findings were of lesser degree in animals receiving NE (20, 50 and 100 mg/kg/day) and Ea (corresponding doses with EN in molecular weight basis). When comparing the effect of EN with that of EA on the increase of lung weight and death from the Epi infusion, EN was more protective than EA. Although the mechanism of protecting action of these tocopheryl esters remains obscure, the interpretation is that these compounds did not affect the pressor response to Epi.