Moutan cortex radicis (MCR) is a Chinese herbal medicine that was widely used over a long period as an analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory agent in China. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in rat models is considered similar to adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in humans. Therefore, the present study investigates the effect of MCR on ALI. The ALI model was developed through the intra-tracheal (IT) administration of LPS (16mg/kg) to Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, which formed the LPS group. MCR was orally administered before and after LPS was introduced into rats (MCR-LPS group and LPS-MCR group, respectively). In the MCR-LPS group, rats received MCR 2g/kg/times 3 times before LPS challenge; the LPS-MCR group received MCR 2g/kg/times 3 times after LPS challenge. The results of this experiment indicate that the number of total cells and neutrophils and the concentration of protein exudation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) significantly decreased in the MCR-LPS group. Cytokine levels, including levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, macrophage-inflammatory peptide (MIP)-2, IL-6, and IL-10, in BALF were also significantly inhibited at 16h after LPS administration in the MCR-LPS group. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in lung tissue was reduced in the MCR-LPS and LPS-MCR groups at 16h after LPS administration. Furthermore, leukocyte infiltration and protein exudation in the alveolar space were less severe in the MCR-LPS group than in the LPS group. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that the administration of MCR prior to LPS improves ALI, possibly mediating ALI through anti-inflammation.
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