Fig. 7.
Impact of the inhaled NOS-inhibitor AG-aerosol on the phosgene-induced changes in lung weights, eNO, eCO2, and breathing frequency. AG (dissolved 7% in deionized water) was aerosolized to be inhalable for rats [44]. Control rats were nose-only exposed for 30 min to dry air (C). Rats from all other groups were similarly exposed for 30 min to phosgene (≈900 mg/m3 × min). AG groups were exposed to AG-aerosols in three modifications: (I) 300 mg drug/m3 for 30-min (nose-only, b.i.d. 0.5 and 5 h post-exposure to phosgene). (II) Same treatment regimen as (I) but animals were exposed unrestrained in small whole-body exposure chambers. (III) Same treatment regimen as (II) but the same inhalation dose was continually delivered over 6 h at 50 mg drug/m3. Hence, all groups received the same Cxt of drug. All endpoints were determined approximately 20 h post-exposure to phosgene. Bars represent means ± SD (n = 5). Asterisks denote significant differences of AG-groups relative to the phosgene (P) group (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01)