Purpose: To investigate the effect of penehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC) on interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), and oxidative stress levels in lung tissues of acute lung injury (ALI) neonatal rats.Methods: 40 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were assigned to model, low-dose PHC, high-dose PHC, and control groups (n = 10). Levels of IL-6, TNF-α and HIF-1α were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pulmonary lesions were determined histologically using H&E staining.Results: The lung tissue levels of IL-6, TNF-α and HIF-1α were significantly higher in model rats than in control rats, and significantly lower in PHC-treated rats than in model group, with decrease in levels as PHC dose increased (p < 0.05). The lung tissue activity of MPO and level of MDA in model rats were significantly higher than those in control rats, but significantly lower in the lung tissues of the two PHC groups than in the model group; decrease in levels occurred as PHC dose increased (p < 0.05).Conclusion: PHC decreases the lung and serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α and HIF-1α in a rat model of ALI, and mitigates pulmonary oxidative stress and lung tissue damage. Thus, penehyclidine hydrochloride may be useful to mitigate ALI-induced damage in patients. However, further studies and clinical trials are required to ascertain this
Keywords: Penehyclidine hydrochloride, Alveolar septum, Acute lung injury, Inflammatory cells, IL-6, TNF-α, HIF-1α, Oxidative stress