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. 2014 May-Jun;40(3):238-43.
doi: 10.1590/s1806-37132014000300006.

Effects of acute and chronic administration of methylprednisolone on oxidative stress in rat lungs

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Ronaldo Lopes Torres  1 , Iraci Lucena da Silva Torres  2 , Gabriela Laste  3 , Maria Beatriz Cardoso Ferreira  2 , Paulo Francisco Guerreiro Cardoso  4 , Adriane Belló-Klein  5
Affiliations

Effects of acute and chronic administration of methylprednisolone on oxidative stress in rat lungs

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Ronaldo Lopes Torres et al. J Bras Pneumol. 2014 May-Jun.

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Objective: To determine the effects of acute and chronic administration of methylprednisolone on oxidative stress, as quantified by measuring lipid peroxidation (LPO) and total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP), in rat lungs.

Methods: Forty Wistar rats were divided into four groups: acute treatment, comprising rats receiving a single injection of methylprednisolone (50 mg/kg i.p.); acute control, comprising rats i.p. injected with saline; chronic treatment, comprising rats receiving methylprednisolone in drinking water (6 mg/kg per day for 30 days); and chronic control, comprising rats receiving normal drinking water.

Results: The levels of TRAP were significantly higher in the acute treatment group rats than in the acute control rats, suggesting an improvement in the pulmonary defenses of the former. The levels of lung LPO were significantly higher in the chronic treatment group rats than in the chronic control rats, indicating oxidative damage in the lung tissue of the former.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that the acute use of corticosteroids is beneficial to lung tissue, whereas their chronic use is not. The chronic use of methylprednisolone appears to increase lung LPO levels.

Objetivo:: Determinar os efeitos da administração aguda e crônica de metilprednisolona no estresse oxidativo, por meio da quantificação da peroxidação lipídica (POL) e do potencial antioxidante reativo total (PART), em pulmões de ratos.

Métodos:: Quarenta ratos Wistar foram divididos em quatro grupos: tratamento agudo, com ratos recebendo uma dose única de metilprednisolona (50 mg/kg i.p.); controle agudo, com ratos recebendo injeção unida de salina; tratamento crônico, com ratos recebendo metilprednisolona v.o. na água do bebedouro (6 mg/kg por dia durante 30 dias; e controle crônico, com ratos recebendo água de bebedouro normal).

Resultados:: Os níveis de PART foram significativamente maiores no grupo tratamento agudo que no grupo controle agudo, sugerindo uma melhora do sistema de defesa pulmonar. Os níveis de POL foram significativamente maiores no grupo tratamento crônico que no grupo controle crônico, indicando dano oxidativo no tecido pulmonar.

Conclusões:: Nossos resultados sugerem que o uso agudo de corticoides foi benéfico aos tecidos pulmonares, enquanto seu uso crônico não o foi. O uso crônico de metilprednisolona parece aumentar os níveis pulmonares da POL.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Mean levels of total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP) in the lungs of rats subjected to acute administration of methylprednisolone (acute treatment group) or injected with an equal volume of saline (acute control group). Trolox: 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid. *p < 0.05, Student's t-test.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Mean levels of lipid peroxidation in the lungs of rats subjected to acute administration of methylprednisolone (acute treatment group) or injected with an equal volume of saline (acute control group). CL: chemiluminescence; and cps: counts per second.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Mean levels of total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP) in the lungs of rats subjected to chronic administration of oral methylprednisolone (chronic treatment group) or not (chronic control group). Trolox: 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Mean levels of lipid peroxidation in the lungs of rats subjected to chronic administration of oral methylprednisolone (chronic treatment group) or not (chronic control group). CL: chemiluminescence; and cps: counts per second. *p < 0.05, Student's t-test.
Figura 1
Figura 1. Média dos níveis de potencial antioxidante reativo total (PART) nos pulmões de ratos submetidos a administração aguda de metilprednisolona (grupo de tratamento agudo) ou injeção de um volume igual de solução salina (grupo de controle agudo). Trolox: ácido 2-carboxílico-6-hidroxi-2,5,7,8-tetrametilcromano. *p < 0,05, teste t de Student.
Figura 2
Figura 2. Média dos níveis de peroxidação lipídica nos pulmões de ratos submetidos a administração aguda de metilprednisolona (grupo de tratamento agudo) ou injeção de um volume igual de solução salina (grupo de controle agudo). QL: quimioluminescência; e cps: contagens por segundo.
Figura 3
Figura 3. Média dos níveis de potencial antioxidante reativo total (PART) nos pulmões de ratos submetidos a administração crônica de metilprednisolona oral (grupo de tratamento crônico) ou não (grupo de controle crônico). Trolox: ácido 2-carboxílico-6-hidroxi-2,5,7,8-tetrametilcromano.
Figura 4
Figura 4. Média dos níveis de peroxidação lipídica nos pulmões de ratos submetidos a administração crônica de metilprednisolona oral (grupo de tratamento crônico) ou não (grupo de controle crônico). QL: quimioluminescência; e cps: contagens por segundo. *p < 0,05, teste t de Student
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