The effect of Edaravone on lung injury after lower limb ischemiareperfusion in a rat model: Biochemical and histopathological insights

Aim: Lower limb ischemia/reperfusion leads to distant organ dysfunction, notably affecting the lungs, resulting in respiratory failure and significant morbidity and mortality. Edaravone is a new free radical scavenger and has attracted the attention of researchers. This study aims to examine edaravone's influence on lung injury arising from lower limb ischemia-reperfusion. Material and Methods: Forty male Wistar rats were categorized into groups: Sham, Ischemia/Reperfusion (IR), Solvent, and Edaravone. The infrarenal abdominal aorta was clamped for 120 minutes and then reperfused for another 120 minutes. Edaravone was administered 30 minutes before the ischemic event. Then we analyzed serum and lung tissue samples for malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and nitric oxide (NO) levels. Furthermore, a thorough histopathological assessment was conducted. Results: In the IR group, edaravone notably reduced serum and lung MDA levels. While significant differences in serum SOD and NO levels existed between the IR and edaravone groups, similar differences were not found in the lung tissue samples. There appeared to be no significant impact of edaravone on serum and lung GPx levels. The histopathological investigation revealed that the lung injury score was significantly higher in the IR group compared to the control group, a difference mitigated by edaravone treatment. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that edaravone mitigates lower limb ischemia-reperfusion-induced lung injury, both biochemically and histopathologically. Our findings imply the potential utility of this agent in the context of acute ischemia-reperfusion injury following vascular surgery.