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Abstract
Amiodarone (AM) is a potent antidysrhythmic agent that is limited in clinical use
by its adverse effects, including potentially life-threatening AM-induced pulmonary
toxicity (AIPT). The present study tested the ability of dietary supplementation with
vitamin E (500 IU d,1-alpha-tocopherol acetate/kg chow) to protect against pulmonary
damage following intratracheal administration of AM (1.83 micromol) to the male golden
Syrian hamster. At 21 days post-dosing, animals treated with AM had increased lung
hydroxyproline content and histological disease index values compared to control (P
< 0.05), which were indicative of fibrosis. Dietary vitamin E supplementation for
6 weeks resulted in a 234% increase in lung vitamin E content at the time of AM dosing,
and maintenance on the diet prevented AM-induced elevation of hydroxyproline content
and disease index 21 days post-dosing. Dietary vitamin E supplementation also decreased
hydroxyproline content and disease index values in hamsters treated intratracheally
with distilled water, the AM vehicle. These results demonstrate a protective role
for vitamin E in an in vivo model of AIPT, and suggest that this antioxidant may have
non-specific antifibrotic effects in the lung.