Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Lungs Histopathology of Animal Models with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory or alveolar tract disorder characterized by inflammation with high morbidity and mortality rates. The increasing mortality rate among workers in certain jobs emphasizes the importance of targeted interventions to prevent COPD development. This study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) intervention in reducing inflammation in COPD animal models. Twenty-one female Wistar rats aged 6-8 weeks weighing between 180-200 g were used in this study. They were divided into 3 groups: G0 (negative control), G1 (COPD group without HBOT treatment), and G2 (COPD group with HBOT treatment). The HBOT dose includes breathing 98.2% O2 of 1.3 ATA 3 times at 30-minute, intervals 2 times for 5 minutes normal air, for 5 consecutive days, interspersed with 2 days of rest then 5 more consecutive days in the animal chamber. SOD and IL-1β levels in the rats' blood serum were examined using the ELISA method. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining technique was used to examine the expression of inflammatory cells in the rats’ lung tissue. The Games-Howell test showed a non-significant decrease in IL-1β levels (p > 0.05) and a significant increase in SOD enzyme activity (p<0.05) in G2 compared to G1. The histopathology results revealed a significant decrease in inflammatory cell expression in lung alveoli tissue (p = 0.029, p<0.05) in G2 compared to G1. The study concludes that HBOT exhibited anti-inflammatory effects in animal models of COPD and can be used as adjuvant therapy in the management of COPD.