Lung preconditioning with N-acetyl-L-cysteine prevents reperfusion injury after liver no flow-reflow: a dose-response study.

Background: Circulating xanthine oxidase activity and the generated oxidants have been linked to lung reperfusion injury from no flow-reflow conditions in other organs after organ transplantation or surgery. N-acetyl-1-cysteine (NAC), an oxidant scavenger, promotes glutathione in its reduced form (GSH) that is depleted during ischemia. We have recently demonstrated its efficacy in protecting lungs from reperfusion injury if administered during reperfusion of postischemic liver.

N-acetyl-L-cysteine for preventing lung reperfusion injury after liver ischemia-reperfusion: a possible dual protective mechanism in a dose-response study.

Background: Acute lung reperfusion injury (ALI) frequently follows an ischemic event in another organ, such as organ transplantation. We recently demonstrated that lung priming with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) prevented liver ischemia-reperfusion (IR)-induced ALI pending on reduced glutathione (GSH) amount of replenishment. We now assessed the therapeutic effect of NAC-in preventing ALI caused by liver IR-if administered to the lung during liver reperfusion.