Effects of intratracheal administration of xanthine plus xanthine oxidase on lung antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, and collagen in hamsters.

Xanthine (X) and xanthine oxidase (XO) were injected intratracheally (IT) in hamsters at Day 0 (38 mg X, 100 micrograms XO) and Day 5 (38 mg X, 250 micrograms XO). Control hamsters received saline or X (38 mg) plus boiled XO (100, 250 micrograms). Cytoplasmic superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased from control of 286 to 337 and 335 units/lung at Days 12 and 19, respectively, but decreased to 228 units/lung at Day 33; mitochondrial SOD activity increased at Day 12 from control of 57 to 71 units/lung and then decreased at Days 26 and 33 to 42 and 33 units/lung, respectively. Glutathione peroxidase (GP) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities rose from their control values of 1161 and 1151 to 1561 and 2287 units/lung at Day 12, respectively; thereafter, GR activity decreased to 512 and 462 units/lung at Days 19 and 26, respectively. Glutathione transferase declined at Day 12 but increased at Day 26 after initial treatment. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity declined from control of 1071 to 693 units/lung at Day 2 and returned to control thereafter. Catalase activity remained unaffected. Hydroxyproline was increased from 903 micrograms/lung in control to 1080, 1301, 1195, and 1148 micrograms/lung at Days 12, 19, 26, and 33, respectively. Malonaldehyde increased from 40 nmole/lung in control to 70 and 113 nmole/lung at Days 12 and 33, respectively. The ratio of right ventricle to left ventricle and septum increased significantly from control of 0.277 to 0.318 at Day 33. Histopathology at Days 2 and 4 revealed peribronchiolar and arteriolar inflammation, and diffuse alveolitis. By Day 12 there were thickened alveolar septa and foci of fibrotic consolidation.