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Saikosaponin a Ameliorates LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Mice

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Saikosaponin a (SSa), a triterpene saponin derived from Radix bupleuri, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) using a murine model. The mice were given SSa 1 h after intranasal instillation of LPS. Then, lung histopathological examination, the wet/dry (W/D) ratio, myeloperoxidase (MPO), and inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected in this study. The results showed that SSa reduced lung pathological injury induced by LPS. Furthermore, LPS-induced lung W/D ratio, MPO activity, and inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in BALF were significantly inhibited by SSa. In addition, SSa suppressed LPS-induced NF-κB activation and NLRP3 inflammasome expression. In conclusion, we found that SSa played a critical anti-inflammatory effect through inhibition of NF-κB and NLRP3 signaling pathways and protected against LPS-induced ALI.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Intensive Care Units, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, 121000, China

    Zhi-An Du, Mei-Na Sun & Zhan-Sheng Hu

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  1. Zhi-An Du
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  2. Mei-Na Sun
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Correspondence to Zhan-Sheng Hu.

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Du, ZA., Sun, MN. & Hu, ZS. Saikosaponin a Ameliorates LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Mice. Inflammation 41, 193–198 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-017-0677-3

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