Chronic ethanol ingestion increases superoxide production and NADPH oxidase expression in the lung

Abstract

Alcohol abuse increases the incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome and causes oxidative stress and cellular dysfunction in the lung. The mechanisms of ethanol (EtOH)-induced oxidative stress in the lung remain to be defined. Chronic alcohol ingestion has been associated with increased renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activity. Therefore, the current study investigated the ability of lisinopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, to modulate oxidative stress in the lung after chronic EtOH ingestion in a well-established rat model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed liquid diets containing EtOH (36% of calories) or maltose-dextrin as an isocaloric substitution for EtOH (C..