Systemic Administration of FC-77 Dampens Ischemia–Reperfusion-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Rats

Systemic administration of perfluorocarbons (PFCs) reportedly attenuates acute lung injury induced by acid aspiration and phorbol myristate acetate. However, the effects of PFCs on ischemia–reperfusion (IR)-induced lung injury have not been investigated. Typical acute lung injury was induced in rats by 60 min of ischemia and 60 min of reperfusion in isolated and perfused rat lung model. Rat lungs were randomly assigned to receive PBS (control), 1 % FC-77, IR only, or IR with different doses of FC-77 (0.1 %, 0.5 %, or 1 %). Subsequently, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), perfusate, and lung tissues were collected to evaluate the degree of lung injury. IR caused a significant increase in the following parameters: pulmonary arterial pressure, capillary filtration coefficient, lung weight gain, lung weight/body weight ratio, wet/dry lung weight ratio, and protein concentration in BALF. TNF-α and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1 concentrations in perfusate samples and MDA concentration and MPO activities in lung tissues were also significantly increased. Histopathology showed increased septal thickness and neutrophil infiltration in the lung tissues. Furthermore, NF-κB activity was significantly increased in the lungs. However, pretreatment with 1 % FC-77 prior to IR significantly attenuated the increases in these parameters. In conclusion, our results suggest that systemic FC-77 administration had a protective effect on IR-induced acute lung injury. These protective mechanisms may have been mediated by the inhibition of NF-κB activation and attenuation of subsequent inflammatory response.     

Artesunate Inhibits Renal Ischemia Reperfusion-Stimulated Lung Inflammation in Rats by Activating HO-1 Pathway

Artesunate (AS), a semi-synthetic derivative of Artemisia, has been shown to exert a wide range of pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions. However, the protective functions of AS on renal ischemia reperfusion injury (RIR)-stimulated lung inflammation remain unclear. In this research, acute lung injury (ALI) was stimulated by renal ischemia reperfusion injury (RIR). AS (15 mg/kg) was intraperitoneal administrated to rat 1 h before RIR stimulation. Serum and pulmonary NO, MDA, IL-6, MIP-2, and PGE₂ levels, arterial blood gas and biochemistry, lung wet/dry weight ratio and MPO activity, total cell number and protein concentration in BALF, tissue histology, and NF-κB expression were determined. The results indicated that serum and pulmonary NO, MDA, IL-6, MIP-2, and PGE₂ levels, lung wet/dry weight ratio and MPO activity, total cell number, and protein concentration in BALF enhanced after RIR stimulation. These alterations were mitigated by AS. AS attenuated lung wet/dry weight ratio and MPO activity, total cell number, and protein concentration in BALF. AS attenuated RIR-stimulated pulmonary NF-κB phosphorylation. In addition, these previously mentioned actions of AS were antagonized by suppressing HO-1 pathway. However, RIR-stimulated arterial blood gas and biochemistry and lung histopathology were also attenuated by AS. In summary, AS inhibited RIR-stimulated lung inflammation by activating HO-1 pathway.     

1,8-Cineol Attenuates LPS-Induced Acute Pulmonary Inflammation in Mice

Eucalyptol, also known as 1,8-cineol, is a monoterpene and has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect. It is traditionally used to treat respiratory disorders due to its secretolytic properties. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of 1,8-cineol on pulmonary inflammation in a mouse model of acute lung injury. We found that 1,8-cineol significantly decreased the level of TNF-α and IL-1β, and increased the level of IL-10 in lung tissues after acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). It also reduced the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and myeloperoxidase activity in lung tissues. In addition, 1,8-cineol reduced the amounts of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), including neutrophils and macrophages, and significantly decreased the protein content in BALF and the lung wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio. Its effect on LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation was associated with suppression of TLR4 and NF-κB expressions. Our results provide evidence that 1,8-cineol inhibits acute pulmonary inflammation, indicating its potential for the treatment of acute lung injury.     

中性粒细胞在大鼠肾缺血再灌注造成肺损伤中的作用研究

目的探讨中性粒细胞在大鼠肾缺血再灌注造成肺损伤中的作用。方法SD大鼠40只，随机分为对照组（假手术组）、缺血30min再灌注60min组（I30’＋R60＇组），缺血60min再灌注60min组（I60’＋R60’组），缺血90mib再灌注60min组（I90＇＋R60’组），缺血120min再灌注60min组（I120’＋R60’组），测定各组血浆中肌酐（Cr）、尿素氮（BUN）、肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）、中性粒细胞弹性蛋白酶（NE）含量；支气管肺泡灌洗液（BALF）中TNF-α、NE的含量。结果肾脏缺血再灌注（I／R）导致肾脏、肺损伤，中性粒细胞在其中发挥重要作用。随着肾缺血时间延长，再灌注后肾功能严重损害，血浆Cr、BUN含量、肾系数逐渐升高，差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。血浆、支气管肺泡灌洗液（BALF）中TNF-α含量逐渐升高，炎症反应加重，差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。血浆、BALF中中性粒细胞弹性蛋白酶（NE）高于对照组（P〈0．05），组织破坏程度逐渐加重。病理观察结果显示，肾缺血再灌注（I／R）后，肾组织和肺组织有损伤性改变。结论肾脏I／R损伤可造成肺功能损伤，损伤机制与中性粒细胞的活化引发的非特异性局部或全身炎性反应有关。     

Cavidine Ameliorates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury <Emphasis Type="Italic">via</Emphasis> NF-κB Signaling Pathway <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vivo</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

Acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by widespread inflammation in the lungs and alveolar-capillary destruction, causing high morbidity and mortality. Cavidine, isolated from Corydalis impatiens, have been exhibited to have potent anti-inflammatory effects in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of cavidine on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and to enunciate the underlying in vivo and in vitro mechanisms. Mice were intraperitoneally administrated with cavidine (1, 3, or 10 mg/kg) at 1 and 12 h, prior to the induction of ALI by intranasal administration of LPS (30 mg/kg). Blood samples, lung tissues, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were harvested after LPS challenge. Furthermore, we used LPS-induced lung epithelial cells A549 to examine the mechanism of cavidine to lung injury. The results showed that pretreatment with cavidine significantly decreased lung wet-to-dry weight (W/D) ratio, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels including TNF-α and IL-6 in BALF and serum from LPS-stimulated mice, and attenuated lung histopathological changes. In addition, western blot results showed that cavidine inhibited the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) p65 and IκBα induced by LPS. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that cavidine protects against LPS-induced acute lung injury in mice via inhibiting of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α and IL-6 production and NF-κB signaling pathway activation. Taken together, cavidine may be useful for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary inflammatory diseases, such as ALI.     

Modulation of LPS-Stimulated Pulmonary Inflammation by Borneol in Murine Acute Lung Injury Model

The object of our study is to investigate the protective effects of Borneol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. To determine the effects of Borneol on the histopathological changes in mice with ALI, inflammatory cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung wet/dry weight ratio were measured in LPS-challenged mice, and lung histopathologic changes observed via paraffin section were assessed. Next, cytokine production induced by LPS in BALF and RAW 264.7 cells was measured by enzyme-linked imunosorbent assay (ELISA). To further study the mechanism of Borneol-protective effects on ALI, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) pathways were investigated. In the present study, Borneol obviously alleviated pulmonary inflammation by reducing inflammatory infiltration, histopathological changes, descended cytokine production, and pulmonary edema initiated by LPS. Furthermore, Borneol significantly suppressed phosphorylation of NF-κB/P65, IκBa, p38, JNK, and ERK. Taken together, our results suggest that Borneol suppressed inflammatory responses in LPS-induced acute lung injury through inhibition of the NF-κB and MAPKs signaling pathways. Borneol may be a promising potential preventive agent for acute lung injury treatment.     

血红素氧合酶对大鼠肺缺血再灌注损伤的保护作用

探讨血红素氧合酶 1(HO 1)对大鼠肺缺血再灌注损伤 (I/R)的保护作用。Wistar大鼠随机分成假手术 (sham)组、I/R组、Hemin组和ZnPP IX组。采用夹闭大鼠左肺门 30min ,再灌注 12 0min ,分别观察各组HO 1活性 ,肺组织形态学变化 ,肺湿干重比、伊文思蓝含量、支气管肺泡灌洗液 (BALF)中细胞计数及蛋白含量变化。与sham组比较 ,I/R组和hemin组肺组织HO 1活性显著增高 (P <0 0 1) ,ZnPP IX组能取消hemin诱导的HO 1活性增高 (P <0 0 1)。光镜下可见I/R组和ZnPP IX组肺组织水肿 ,部分动物肺泡腔中可见出血 ,并伴有局部肺不张 ,而hemin组肺组织形态学改变明显减轻。Hemin组肺湿干重比、伊文思蓝含量、BALF中细胞数和蛋白含量均低于I/R组和ZnPP IX组 ,但仍高于sham组 (P <0 0 1)。结果提示 ,HO 1对在体大鼠肺I/R损伤具有部分保护作用     

DADLE对大鼠急性全脑缺血再灌注继发肺损伤的作用

 目的：通过建立大鼠急性全脑缺血再灌注模型,观察肺组织超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性、丙二醛（MDA）含量及肺组织光镜、电镜病理变化,探讨δ阿片受体激动剂DADLE对急性肺损伤的保护作用。方法：SD大鼠30只随机分为假手术（sham）组、模型（I/R）组和DADLE处理组。采用改良的二血管阻断加低血压法建立全脑缺血再灌注模型。DADLE处理组（n=10）于再灌注前经左侧颈静脉注射DADLE 5 mg/kg,再灌注120 min后,取肺组织,光镜、电镜观察其病理学改变及检测肺组织SOD活性、MDA含量。右侧股动脉取血测定氧分压,计算氧合指数。结果：I/R组与 sham组比较,肺脏表现为肺泡间隔增宽,毛细血管扩张充血,肺胞腔内及血管周围中性粒细胞浸润,Ⅱ型上皮细胞表面微绒毛明显减少,肺胞腔及气管腔均有浆液渗出,大鼠肺组织SOD活性降低和MDA含量升高。DADLE处理组与I/R组比较肺脏充血减轻,肺组织损伤程度明显减轻,中性粒细胞浸润有所减少,SOD活性升高和MDA含量降低。DADLE处理组动脉血氧分压和氧合指数有升高趋势,与I/R组比较差异有统计学意义。结论：大鼠急性全脑缺血再灌注模型对肺有不同程度的损伤,DADLE可减轻急性肺损伤,对肺组织提供一定的保护作用。     

Stevioside Protects LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Mice

Stevioside, a diterpene glycoside component of Stevia rebaudiana, has been known to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. To evaluate the effect and the possible mechanism of stevioside in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury, male BALB/c mice were pretreated with stevioside or dexamethasone 1 h before intranasal instillation of LPS. Seven hours later, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The number of total cells, neutrophils, and macrophages in the BALF were also determined. The right lung was excised for histological examination and analysis of myeloperoxidase activity and nitrate/nitrite content. Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), inhibitory kappa B protein were detected by western blot. The results showed that stevioside markedly attenuated the LPS-induced histological alterations in the lung. Stevioside inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the expression of COX-2 and iNOS induced by LPS. In addition, not only was the wet-to-dry weight ratio of lung tissue significantly decreased, the number of total cells, neutrophils, and macrophages in the BALF were also significantly reduced after treatment with stevioside. Moreover, western blotting showed that stevioside inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB-α and NF-κB caused by LPS. Taken together, our results suggest that anti-inflammatory effect of stevioside against the LPS-induced acute lung injury may be due to its ability of inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Stevioside may be a promising potential therapeutic reagent for acute lung injury treatment.     

The opposite roles of nNOS in cardiac ischemia–reperfusion-induced injury and in ischemia preconditioning-induced cardioprotection in mice

The role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in cardiac ischemia–reperfusion (IR) and ischemia preconditioning (IP) is still controversial. Here, we focused on the possible roles of nNOS in cardiac IR and IP. Wild type C57BL/6 (WT) mice were subjected to coronary artery occlusion for 30 min followed by 24-h reperfusion (IR). Cardiac injury (infarct size and apoptotic cell number) was increased, associated with elevation of oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation) and nitrative stress (nitrotyrosine formation). A potent nNOS inhibitor, L-VNIO, and a superoxide dismutase mimetic and peroxynitrite scavenger, MnTBAP, significantly reduced IR-induced increases of oxidative/nitrative stress and cardiac injury. IR-induced cardiac injury in nNOS^−/− (KO) mice was significantly lower than that in WT mice. MnTBAP markedly reduced IR-induced cardiac injury by suppression of oxidative/nitrative stress in KO mice. Cardiac IP was performed by three cycles of 5-min IR before 30-min ischemia followed by 24-h reperfusion. IP attenuated IR-induced cardiac injury in WT mice associated with reductions of oxidative/nitrative stress. IP-induced reduction of cardiac injury and oxidative/nitrative stress were eliminated by pretreatment with L-VNIO. In contrast with WT mice, IP had no protective effects in nNOS KO mice. In conclusion, nNOS played a dual role during cardiac IR and IP; nNOS exacerbated IR-induced injury by increasing oxidative/nitrative stress and contributed to IP-induced protection by inhibition of oxidative/nitrative stress.     

TyrphostinA1预防大鼠油酸性肺损伤的机制研究

目的：研究JAK/STAT信号通路抑制剂tyrphostinA1对大鼠油酸性肺损伤的影响，并探讨其作用机制。方法： 以大鼠油酸型ALI为研究对象，利用动物肺功能测定仪测定肺损伤过程中吸气气道阻力（Ri）和动态肺顺应性(Cdyn)的变化，利用光镜观察肺部形态学变化，称重法计算肺指数及湿/干比（W/D），紫外分光光度法检测肺组织微血管的渗透性和肺泡灌洗液（BALF）中蛋白含量，酶联免疫吸附法（ELISA）检测肺泡灌洗液（BALF）TNF-α、IL-6和IL-10的含量。结果： TyrphostinA1明显改善大鼠肺功能，减轻肺组织病理学损伤，降低肺指数及肺湿/干重比，降低肺渗透性和肺泡灌洗液（BALF）中蛋白及TNF-α、IL-6的含量，提高肺泡灌洗液（BALF）中IL-10的含量。结论： TyrphostinA1能抑制油酸诱导的肺损伤，其作用机制可能与调节细胞因子（TNF-α、IL-6和IL-10）的合成与释放有关。     

乳果糖预处理减轻大鼠肠缺血再灌注损伤的机制研究

 目的： 探讨乳果糖预处理对大鼠肠缺血再灌注损伤的影响及其作用机制。方法： 随机将30只SD大鼠分成假手术组、缺血再灌注组和乳果糖预处理组。乳果糖预处理组在手术前7 d每天给予乳果糖灌胃,假手术组和缺血再灌注组在手术前7 d每天给予等量生理盐水灌胃。手术分离肠系膜上动脉,通过夹闭30 min、再灌注60 min诱导缺血再灌注损伤。收集血清检测白细胞介素6（IL-6）、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)和IL-1β水平。HE染色用来评估组织的损伤程度,TUNEL检测小肠上皮细胞的凋亡。部分小肠组织用来检测丙二醛、超氧化物歧化酶及激活型caspase-3的表达水平。结果： 乳果糖预处理显著减轻缺血再灌注引起的肠组织损伤和小肠上皮细胞凋亡,并显著抑制血清中细胞因子的水平和肠组织的脂质过氧化。结论： 乳果糖预处理可能通过抑制细胞凋亡和脂质过氧化减轻缺血再灌注引起的肠道损伤。     

盐酸戊乙奎醚抑制脂多糖致急性肺损伤大鼠肺组织中PMN扣押和NF-κB活化

目的：观察盐酸戊乙奎醚(PHC)对脂多糖(LPS)致急性肺损伤(ALI)大鼠中性粒细胞(PMN)肺内扣押及对肺组织核因子κB（NF-κB）活化的影响。方法： SD大鼠随机分为对照组、LPS模型组（静脉注射5 mg/kg LPS）、LPS+PHC高、中和低(3.0、1.0和0.3 mg/kg)3个剂量组，每组8只，用比色法测定肺组织髓过氧化物酶(MPO)活性，进行支气管肺泡灌洗液(BALF)PMN计数，蛋白免疫印迹法检测肺组织NF-κB的表达。结果： PHC显著降低ALI大鼠肺组织MPO活性、BALF中PMN计数比例（均P＜0.05)；ALI组大鼠肺组织磷酸化NF-κB的表达显著高于正常对照组（P＜0.05)；PHC高、中剂量组能显著抑制大鼠肺组织磷酸化NF-κB表达高于ALI模型组（均P＜0.05)；在造模后不同的时点观察，PHC对磷酸化NF-κB表达的作用有差别，以造模后6 h时最能有效抑制磷酸化NF-κB上调。结论： PHC能抑制LPS诱导ALI大鼠PMN在肺内扣押和肺组织NF-κB活化，PHC抑制LPS诱导PMN肺内扣押可能与抑制NF-κB活化有关，后者有待进一步验证。     

人脐带间充质干细胞移植治疗大鼠急性肺损伤

背景：间充质干细胞具有免疫调节特性,脐带间充质干细胞因其特有的优势,将在急性肺损伤和急性呼吸窘迫综合征的临床应用中有着光明的前景。 目的：探讨脐带间充质干细胞移植对内毒素性大鼠急性肺损伤模型的保护作用。 方法：将48只健康雄性SD大鼠随机均分为正常对照组、急性肺损伤组和脐带间充质干细胞移植组。后两组采用经气管内滴注内毒素建立急性肺损伤模型。成功造模1 h后,脐带间充质干细胞移植组,经气管内滴注脐带间充质干细胞混悬液,正常对照组和急性肺损伤组同法予以等量生理盐水。分别在干预后24,72 h,观察肺组织病理改变,检测病理组织评分、肺组织干湿质量比、髓过氧化物酶活性及血浆白细胞介素6、白细胞介素10及肿瘤坏死因子α水平。 结果与结论：脐带间充质干细胞移植可以减轻内毒素诱导的急性肺损伤模型的损伤程度;脐带间充质干细胞移植组在各时间点与急性肺损伤组比较,病理损伤评分、肺干湿质量比、肺组织髓过氧化物酶活性、血浆白细胞介素6和肿瘤坏死因子α水平均明显降低,血浆白细胞介素10水平明显升高。说明脐带间充质干细胞对内毒素性急性肺损伤模型有保护作用;其保护机制可能为脐带间充质干细胞移植维持肺内炎性递质和抗炎递质平衡。     

Protective Effect of Amygdalin on LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury by Inhibiting NF-κB and NLRP3 Signaling Pathways

The acute lung injury (ALI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Amygdalin is derived from the bitter apricot kernel, an efficacious Chinese herbal medicine. Although amygdalin is used by many cancer patients as an antitumor agent, there is no report about the effect of amygdalin on acute lung injury. Here we explored the protective effect of amygdalin on ALI using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine model by detecting the lung wet/dry ratio, the myeloperoxidase (MPO) in lung tissues, inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), inflammatory cytokines production, as well as NLRP3 and NF-κB signaling pathways. The results showed that amygdalin significantly reduced LPS-induced infiltration of inflammatory cells and the production of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the BALF. The activity of MPO and lung wet/dry ratio were also attenuated by amygdalin. Furthermore, the western blotting analysis showed that amygdalin remarkably inhibited LPS-induced NF-κB and NLRP3 activation. These findings indicate that amygdalin has a protective effect on LPS-induced ALI in mice. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NF-κB and NLRP3 signaling pathways.     

肠缺血后处理抑制大鼠肠缺血再灌注所致的急性肺损伤

目的： 研究肠缺血后处理对大鼠肠缺血再灌注（I/R）所致急性肺损伤的影响及机制。 方法： 40只SD大鼠随机分为5组（n=8）：假手术组（对照组）,仅分离而不阻断肠系膜上动脉（SMA）;肠I/R损伤组,阻断SMA 1 h后再灌注1 h;缺血预处理（IPC）组,在长时间阻断SMA前预先阻断SMA 10 min然后开放 10 min;缺血后处理（IPo）组,在阻断SMA 1 h后连续进行3个循环的开放 SMA 30 s /阻断SMA 30 s (总时间为3 min),然后开放1 h;延迟后处理（delay）组,在再灌注3 min （IPo的总时间）后行3个循环的 30 s 缺血/ 30 s再灌注的缺血后处理,余同IPo组。监测平均动脉压（MAP）,于再灌注1 h 后取肺组织光镜下观察肺形态学的变化,检测血清及支气管肺泡灌洗液蛋白含量并计算肺通透性指数,称肺湿重及干重并计算肺含水率,检测肺组织丙二醛（MDA）的含量,超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）及髓过氧化物酶（MPO）的活性,检测血清TNF-α及IL-6的浓度。结果： 缺血后处理与预处理都能显著改善肺损伤,显著降低肺通透性指数及肺含水率,同时降低血浆TNF-α与IL-6的浓度、肺组织MDA含量及MPO活性,升高SOD活性。后处理被延迟3min后,其肺保护作用消失,且不能显著改变上述指标。 结论： 缺血后处理与预处理都具有抗肠I/R后肺损伤的作用,可能与其清除氧自由基、抑制中性粒细胞的肺内聚集及炎症细胞因子的释放有关;而且,再灌注早期后处理对肺的保护作用最关键。     

肺缺血再灌注中血管内皮损伤的研究

目的:探讨兔肺缺血再灌注(I-R)中肺血管内皮细胞的损伤。方法:比较肺I-R和假手术对照组的血浆一氧化氮(NO)、内皮素-1(ET-1)及血气、肺水肿指标,分析肺脏超微结构。结果:I-R组血浆NO、ET-1水平显著高于假手术对照组,ET-1与动脉氧分压(PaO₂)呈负相关,与肺湿/干重比呈正相关。再灌注期,PaO₂明显低于对照组,肺湿/干重比明显高于对照组。电镜观察:缺血1h,肺毛细血管内皮细胞肿胀,Ⅰ型肺泡上皮细胞基膜增厚,Ⅱ型细胞微绒毛减少,板层小体减少,肺泡隔增厚。再灌注0.5h,毛细血管和肺泡上皮细胞损伤较明显,至再灌注2h结构开始修复。结论:I-R时肺毛细血管内皮细胞受损,其损伤可能在肺功能紊乱中起重要作用。     

NPS 2143, a selective calcium-sensing receptor antagonist inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced pulmonary inflammation

NPS 2143, a novel and selective antagonist of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory activity. In the present study, we examined the protective effect of NPS 2143 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI). NPS 2143 pretreatment significantly inhibited the influx of inflammatory cells and the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in the lung of mice with LPS-induced ALI. NPS 2143 decreased the levels of neutrophil elastase (NE) and protein concentration in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). NPS 2143 also reduced the production of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the BALF and serum. In addition, NPS 2143 attenuated the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and increased the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the lung. NPS 2143 also downregulated the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in the lung. In LPS-stimulated H292 airway epithelial cells, NPS 2143 attenuated the releases of IL-6 and MCP-1. Furthermore, NPS 2143 upregulated the activation of AMPK and downregulated the activation of NF-κB. These results suggest that NPS 2143 could be potential agent for the treatment of inflammatory diseases including ALI.     

Celastrol attenuates impairments associated with lipopolysaccharide-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in rats

Celastrol, a constituent from a traditional Chinese medicinal herb belonging to the family Celastraceae, has been shown to impart anti-inflammatory properties, in part, by inhibiting NF-κB activity and related induction of pro-inflammatory cytokine formation/release. The present study investigated the effects of celastrol in an animal model of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced by intratracheal administration of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs). Celastrol pre-treatment groups received celastrol by intraperitoneal injection on seven consecutive days before LPS treatment. In rats evaluated 24?h after LPS administration, oxygenation indices and lung injury were measured, as were levels of inflammatory cells and cytokines in isolated bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Lung tissue expression of proteins involved in NF-κB and ERK/MAPK pathways were measured by Western blot analyses. Celastrol pre-treatments appeared to attenuate LPS-induced lung injury and inflammatory responses in the rats, including decreases in inducible aggregation\infiltration of inflammatory cells and production/release of pro-inflammatory cytokines into the lung airways. Celastrol appeared to also inhibit NF-κB activation, but had no effect on ERK/MAPK pathways in the LPS-induced ARDS. The results here thus indicated that celastrol pre-treatment could impart protective effects against LPS-induced ARDS, and that these effects may be occurring through an inhibition of induction of NF-κB signaling pathways.     

气道给rhSOD对胎粪诱导肺损伤中NF-κB及MIP-1α表达的影响

目的：观察早期经气道给予重组人超氧化物歧化酶（rhSOD）对胎粪诱导大鼠肺NF-κB和炎症因子MIP-1α表达的影响，以探讨其在胎粪诱导肺损伤中的作用及其机制。 方法： 24只雄性SD大鼠，随机分为：（1）对照组（control）,经气管插管注入生理盐水1 mL/kg；（2）胎粪+生理盐水处理组（Mec/saline）；（3）胎粪+ rhSOD治疗组(Mec/rhSOD)。后两者先由气管插管注入20%新生儿胎粪生理盐水混悬液1 mL/kg建立急性肺损伤模型，再分别经气管插管注入生理盐水1 mL/kg或rhSOD 20 g·L-1·kg-1。24 h后取材， RT-PCR法测定肺组织MIP-1α mRNA、Western blotting法测定NF-κB蛋白表达改变，同时行支气管肺泡灌洗液（BAL）细胞计数。 结果： Mec/saline组大鼠BAL细胞计数、肺组织MIP-1α mRNA和NF-κB蛋白表达均明显高于control组［(4.68±1.40)×109 cells/L vs (0.53±0.19)×109 cells/L, 3.60±0.75 vs 1.56±0.33， 0.72±0.31 vs 0.23±0.21］，（均P<0.01）； Mec/rhSOD组大鼠BAL细胞计数、肺组织MIP-1α mRNA和NF-κB蛋白表达分别为(3.13±0.77)×109cells/L、2.20±0.39和0.44±0.21，均显著低于Mec/saline组（均P<0.01），但仍显著高于control组（均P<0.01）。 结论： 早期经气道给rhSOD可能通过抑制肺MIP-1α和NF-κB表达而减轻胎粪诱导的肺炎症反应。