Phenobarbital blocks the lung edema induced by centrally injected tityustoxin in adult Wistar rats

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 2002-10, Vol.332 (2), p.119-122
• Main Authors: Mesquita, Michel Bernanos Soares, Moraes-Santos, Tasso, Moraes, Márcio Flávio Dutra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Edema; GABA Modulators - pharmacology; Injections, Intraventricular; Intracerebroventricular; Lung - pathology; Male; Medical sciences; Neurogenic; Neuropharmacology; Neuroprotection; Neuroprotective agent; Neuroprotective Agents; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phenobarbital - pharmacology; Pulmonary Edema - chemically induced; Pulmonary Edema - pathology; Pulmonary Edema - prevention & control; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Respiratory Function Tests; Scorpion venom; Scorpion Venoms - administration & dosage; Scorpion Venoms - antagonists & inhibitors; Scorpion Venoms - toxicity; Tityus serrulatus; Toxin
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3940(02)00932-1

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of phenobarbital to block the lung edema observed after intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of tityustoxin (TsTX), a toxic fraction of the Tityus serrulatus venom. We injected 1.74 μg icv (1.0 μl) of TsTX in Wistar rats pre-treated with 0.1 ml intramuscular injections of sterile saline or phenobarbital (60 or 170 mg/kg body weight). After the experiments the lungs were harvested and the pulmonary index (PI=lung/body weight×100) calculated. The animals pre-treated with saline developed severe lung edema (PI=1.8±0.2) after TsTX icv injection whereas those that received 170 mg/kg of phenobarbital presented no lung edema (PI=0.71±0.02). Our results suggest that the lung edema induced by TsTX is of neurogenic nature and that 170 mg/kg of phenobarbital blocks TsTX induced lung edema.