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Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine >

2025 , Vol. 45 >Issue 2: 272 - 280

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2025.02.018

Original articles

Fuzheng Xuanfei Huashi prescription (扶正宣肺化湿方) suppresses inflammation in lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injury in mice via toll-like recptor 4/nuclear transcription factor κB and cyclooxygenase-2/prostaglandin E2 pathway

  • Haiyang HUANG ,
  • Shumin ZHU ,
  • Shaowen ZHONG ,
  • Ying LIU ,
  • Shaozhen HOU ,
  • Jie GAO ,
  • Jianzhao OU ,
  • Mingguo DONG ,
  • Weimin NING
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  • 1 Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dongguan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dongguan 523000, China
    2 Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Food and Drug Vocational College, Guangzhou 510520, China
    3 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
    4 Dongguan Institute of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Dongguan 523808, China

Received date: 2023-12-08

  Accepted date: 2024-05-27

  Online published: 2025-03-10

Supported by

Emergency Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Response Project of Dongguan: Clinical Efficacy Observation and Mechanism Study of Fuzheng Xuanfei Huashi Formula in the Treatment of COVID-19 Based on the Lingnan Theory of Epidemic Diseases(202071715002124);National Natural Science Foundation of China: Study on the Mechanism of Lung Inflammatory Injury Induced by Gut-derived Lipopolysaccharide and Skatole in Spleen Deficiency Animals based on Pulmonary Alveolus Macrophage Heterogeneity(82274381);Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation: Development and Industrialization of Traditional Chinese Medicine Classic and Famous Prescription Compound Formulations(2021ZD006)

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Fuzheng Xuanfei Huashi prescription (扶正宣肺化湿方, FZXF) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pneumonia in mice and identify the mechanism of FZXF in the treatment of LPS-induced lung inflammation.

METHODS: The pneumonia model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 5 mg/kg LPS in mice. Cytokines were detected by enzyme-linked immune-osorbent assay (ELISA), macrophages in lung tissue were determined by immunofluorescence, and pathway-related data were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blot.

RESULTS: The liver, thymus, and spleen index values and the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) obviously increased in LPS-treated mice. FZXF decreased the white blood cell count and reduced the increase in the lung wet weight/dry weight ratio caused by LPS. The hematoxylin-eosin staining result showed that FZXF could maintain the integrity of lung tissue structure, alleviate interstitial oedema and alveolar wall thickening, and reduce inflammatory cell infiltration. Moreover, FZXF markedly reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. FZXF also significantly reduced LPS-induced malondialdehyde production and increased superoxide dismutase level in the lung. By immunofluorescence, we found that FZXF could reduce macrophage infiltration.

The mRNA expression levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear transcription factor κB (NF-κB) in the lung tissue of mice were decreased by treatment with FZXF. In addition, FZXF inhibited the protein expression of TLR4, p-p65 and COX-2. These results indicated that FZXF could inhibit the inflammatory response of LPS induced cytokine storm in mice through TLR4/NF-κB and COX-2/PGE2 signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION: These findings were suggested that FZXF prescription suppresses inflammation in LPS-induced pneumonia in mice via TLR4/NF-κB and COX-2/ PGE2 pathway.

Key words： pneumonia; lipopolysaccharides; toll-like receptor 4; NF-kappa B; cyclooxygenase 2; dinoprostone; signal transduction; Fuzheng Xuanfei Huashi prescription

Cite this article

Haiyang HUANG , Shumin ZHU , Shaowen ZHONG , Ying LIU , Shaozhen HOU , Jie GAO , Jianzhao OU , Mingguo DONG , Weimin NING . Fuzheng Xuanfei Huashi prescription (扶正宣肺化湿方) suppresses inflammation in lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injury in mice via toll-like recptor 4/nuclear transcription factor κB and cyclooxygenase-2/prostaglandin E2 pathway[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2025 , 45(2) : 272 -280 . DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2025.02.018

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