Intervention of pentoxifylline on silica-induced inflammatory reaction and apoptosis

Pentoxifylline (PTX) is a clinically used drug mainly for peripheral circulation improvement. This drug also possesses potent anti-inflammatory effects and was found to inhibit acute lung injury induced by chemical agents in animal models. Since it is also a potential apoptosis enhancer, this study was designed to examine the influence of PTX on silica-induced lung inflammation and pulmonary leucocyte apoptosis. Male Wistar rats were intratracheally instilled with either silica dust suspension or saline and intraperitoneally injected with saline or PTX. These treatments continued for six weeks and all rats were then sacrificed to obtain bronchoalveolar lavage cells and lavage fluid. Data demonstrated that PTX attenuated silica-induced lung injury in the rat model and this attenuation may possibly be attributed to its role in the enhancement of pulmonary apoptosis. As a known clinically safe drug, PTX may thus have potential use in the treatment of human silicosis.