Compared with the normothermic control rats in the present study, the vehicle-treated heated rats had more severe cellular ischemia (e.g., glutamate and lactate/pyruvate ratio) and damage (e.g., glycerol); higher levels of prooxidant enzymes (e.g., lipid peroxidation and glutathione oxidation markers), proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) and NO in BALF; and greater PMN leukocyte accumulation (e.g., MPO activity) in lung tissue. Here, TNF is linked to ischemia.