Superoxide dismutase inhibits radiation-induced lung injury in hamsters.

An animal model of pulmonary radiation-induced lung injury was established in the hamster and the effects of pretreatment with recombinant human CuZn superoxide dismutase (SOD) on the development of the lesion were evaluated. Hamsters exposed to a single irradiation dose of 2000 cGy delivered to the thorax were treated with 150 mg/kg body weight of SOD or an equivalent volume of saline intraperitoneally 75 min and subcutaneously 5 min before receiving irradiation. At 4, 8, and 16 weeks following irradiation, pulmonary injury was evaluated by the grading of morphologic changes semiquantitatively, measurement of lung hydroxyproline content, and analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for total and differential cell counts and total protein concentration. Radiation-induced lung injury in saline-pretreated animals was documented at 16 weeks by histologic morphology and increased protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. SOD protected against radiation-induced pulmonary injury as indicated by the absence of severe histopathologic changes and prevention of elevation in bronchoalveolar lavage protein levels. The beneficial effects of SOD in preventing radiation-induced pulmonary toxicity suggests that this recombinant enzyme may play a role in protection against radiation-induced pulmonary injury in humans.