Acute and chronic effects of xanthine oxidase on lung thorax-compliance in guinea pigs

Xanthine oxidase was given intratracheally in a single dose to guinea pigs. Lung compliance was measured after 4 h and 14 days respectively. Lung-thorax compliance was significantly lower compared with saline-treated controls both 4 h and 14 days after application of fluid. At 14 days there was a dose-related response between lung-thorax compliance and xanthine oxidase administered in the range 0-1.0 U. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) had a protective effect on xanthine oxidase action at 4 h, but not after 14 days. We suggest that the decreased lung-thorax compliance was caused by superoxide radicals, produced by the hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system, damaging lung tissue. We speculate that free oxygen radicals produced by the hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system could be an important contributory pathogenetic factor in producing both acute and chronic lung damage in, for instance, premature babies or adults, with respiratory distress syndrome.