Herbimycin-A attenuates ischaemia-reperfusion induced pulmonary neutrophil infiltration

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether pharmacological induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs) by herbimycin-A (a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor) would protect against neutrophil-mediated lung injury in an animal model of lower torso ischaemia-reperfusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomised into three groups: the control group underwent midline laparotomy only; the ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) group underwent laparotomy and clamping of the infrarenal abdominal aorta for 30 min followed by 2 h of reperfusion; the third group (HerbIR) was pretreated with herbimycin-A 18 h prior to IR insult. Wet to dry lung weight ratio (W:D), bronchoalveolar lavage protein concentration (BALprot), tissue myeloperoxidase activity (MPO) and bronchoalveolar lavage neutrophil count (BALPMN) were measured. Heat shock protein 72 (HSP72) expression in lung, intestine, mesentery and liver was measured using Western immunoblotting. RESULTS: IR resulted in acute lung injury with tissue oedema (W:D) and neutrophil infiltration (PMO, BALPMN). Herbimycin-A, in vivo, induced HSP expression and attenuated neutrophil infiltration (MPO, BALPMN). CONCLUSION: These data indicate that herbimycin-A protects against ischaemia-reperfusion induced pulmonary neutrophil infiltration, possibly by increasing the expression of heat shock proteins.