Effect of Pentoxifylline on the Activation of p38 Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase in Rats with Septic Acute Lung Injury

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of pentoxifylline (PTX) on the activation of p38MAPK in rats with septic acute lung injury induced by intra-abdominal infection. METHEDS　SD rats were subjected to sepsis caused by cecal ligation and puncture(CLP), and animals were randomly divided into Ⅰgroup(sham operation group), Ⅱgroup(sepsis CLP group), Ⅲ group (sepsis+tragacanth CLP+V group), Ⅳ group (sepsis+NS CLP+N group), Ⅴ group (sepsis+SB203580 CLP+SB group), Ⅵ group (sepsis+PTX CLP+PTX group). p38MAPK phosphorylation were measured in 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 h, respectively. 1, 6, 24 h after pretreated with SB203580 or PTX, p38MAPK phosphorylation, the concentration of plasma TNF-α, IL-6, and the pulmonary histopathology were determined. RESULTS　Compared with sham operation, p38MAPK became phosphorylated and hence activated in sepsis group. Pretreated with SB203580 or PTX, p38MAPK were inhibited, consistent with the change of the concentration of plasm TNF-α, IL-6, and the pulmonary histopathology. CONCLUSION　The result suggests that PTX　may alleviate the inflammatory reaction and produce the pulmonary protection in rats polymicrobial sepsis-induced ALI by inhibiting p38MAPK activation.