Objective:To observe the effect of Safflor Yellow(SY)Injection on acute lung injury(ALI)induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)in mice.Methods:Seventy-two mice were divided into six groups:control(saline+saline);LPS(LPS+saline);SY Injection[LPS+SY(10,20 or 40 mg/kg>intravenously)]and anisodamine(AD)(LPS+AD).Thirty minutes after SY or AD administration,15 mg/kg LPS was given intraperitoneally.All animals were sacrificed 4 h after LPS injection.Arterial blood gas and lung water content index(LWCI)were measured.Lung tissue myeloperoxidase(MPO)activity was assayed.mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines was assayed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.Lung morphological and nuclear factor(NF)-k B p65-positive cell changes were observed by HE and immunohistochemical staining.p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)phosphorylation was observed by Western blotting.Results:After LPS administration,all animals displayed increased arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure(PaC02)and decreased arterial oxygen partial pressure(PaO_2),arterial oxygen saturation(SO_2),HCO_3^-concentration and pH,and increased LWCI,MPO activity,interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αmRNA expression,NF-k B p65-positive staining and p38 MAPK activation compared with normal controls(all P<0.01).SY Injection significantly mitigated the LPS-induced increase in arterial PaCO_2 and the decreases in arterial PaO_2,SO_2 and pH,and attenuated increases in LWCI and lung tissue MPO activity(all P<0.01).Moreover,SY Injection inhibited the increases in NF-κB p65 staining and in TNF-α,IL-1βand IL-6 mRNA expression(all P<0.01),and promoted the expression of the antiinflammatory cytokine IL-10(P<0.05)following LPS injection.LPS-induced pulmonary p38 MAPK phosphorylation was suppressed by pretreatment with SY Injection(P<0.01).Conclusion:SY Injection ameliorates inflammatory ALI induced by LPS in mice.
