Inflammation

, Volume 39, Issue 1, pp 483–492 | Cite as

Protective Effect of Astragaloside IV Against Paraquat-Induced Lung Injury in Mice by Suppressing Rho Signaling

  • Tong Chen
  • Ruoning Wang
  • Wenjiao Jiang
  • Huimin Wang
  • Ang Xu
  • Guo Lu
  • Yi Ren
  • Yangmei Xu
  • Yangyang Song
  • Shoulei Yong
  • Hui Ji
  • Zhanqiang Ma
Original Article
First Online:

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of astragaloside IV (AS IV) against paraquat (PQ)-induced pulmonary injury in vivo. Fifty BALB/C mice were randomized into five groups: (1) control, (2) PQ, (3) PQ + dexamethasone (Dex, 5 mg/kg), (4) PQ + AS IV (50 mg/kg), and (5) PQ + AS IV (100 mg/kg). A single dose of PQ (50 mg/kg, i.p.) was intraperitoneally given to induced acute lung injury. Then, mice were treated with AS IV (50 and 100 mg/kg/day, orally) for 5 days. At the end of the experiment, animals were euthanized; then, the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissues were collected for histological observation, biochemical assay, and Western blot analysis. Malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in lung tissues, and interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in BALF were determined. Histological examination indicated that AS IV attenuated lung damage caused by PQ. Biochemical results showed that AS IV treatment significantly reduced the levels of MDA, MPO, and inflammatory cytokines while increased the levels of SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px compared with those in PQ group. Western blot results revealed that AS IV attenuated the Txnip/Trx expressions and inhibited Rho/ROCK/nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathway in PQ-challenged mice. These findings suggested the protective effect of AS IV as a natural product on PQ-induced pulmonary injury.

KEY WORDS

astragaloside IV paraquat lung injury Rho Txnip/Trx 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants of the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China (BK20150707) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities JKZD2013009 and ZJ15030). This Project also funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), Research Innovation Program Project for Graduate Students in Jiangsu Province (CXZZ13_03), National Undergraduate Training Programs for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (G13034) and the Representational Achievement Cultivating Project of State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines (SKLNMBZ201402).

Compliance with Ethical Standards

Conflict of Interest

There is no conflict of interest among authors.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • Tong Chen
    • 1
  • Ruoning Wang
    • 1
  • Wenjiao Jiang
    • 1
  • Huimin Wang
    • 2
  • Ang Xu
    • 1
  • Guo Lu
    • 1
  • Yi Ren
    • 1
  • Yangmei Xu
    • 1
  • Yangyang Song
    • 1
  • Shoulei Yong
    • 2
  • Hui Ji
    • 1
  • Zhanqiang Ma
    • 1
    • 3
  1. 1.State Key Laboratory of Natural MedicinesChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingChina
  2. 2.School of PharmacyChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingChina
  3. 3.Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia MedicaChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjingChina

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